Book One of the Sorcerer Arc : History Repeating
by Zephyr5
Summary: Rated for language, shonen ai SxS. What goes around comes around, but this time it's a whole new ball game, and the stakes are much higher...
1. Two More Scars

AN: Apologies to everyone who read the original version of this, but after the long hiatus whilst I worked on Hyne's Return (which is now finished! – shameless plug ;;), I've now come back and decided that I ~really~ need to work this one out because plot wise, now it's getting into the third 'book', it is really crappy and full of more holes than a bloody Swiss cheese!!  So, that is why the whole thing is being re-vamped and re-posted.  Gomen to all those who liked the original version, or are pissed that they have to now read it again, but like I said, it was getting impossible to write anything without contradicting something that was probably already contradicted elsewhere...feh, deal with it @_@

Oh yeah, and I'm changing the arc name from 'The History Repeating Arc' to 'The Sorcerer Arc' :)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this chapter *sighs wistfully* wish I did, but then I'd be too busy with 'other things' to write this fic *leers evilly* - and yes, I may be too lazy to alter disclaimer, warning and AN text from the old versions, so don't use them as a guide to which chapters have been edited.  ~All~ chapters have been edited, just to varying degrees.

Warnings: Language, although I think there's an equal amount of swearing in the AN and the fic ";; oops... oh well..

**Book One of the Sorcerer Arc ~ History Repeating ~ Chapter One ~ Two More Scars**

Seifer Almasy's fiery gaze met its exact opposite and equal, the ice-cold gaze of Squall Leonhart.  How many years had passed since they last faced off like this?  Three?  Four?  He couldn't remember exactly - thanks to the GFs.  Sure they'd fought, no 'trained' together in that time (however long it was), but he could feel the tension that had been there that morning when it all began.  He could see that Squall could feel it too, could see the memories, like his own, lurking at the back of the brunette's mind.

But neither of them would back down for a feeling, not this time, not after the words that had been exchanged.

It had begun, as most arguments with Squall did, innocently enough.  And any other time Seifer would have been on a high from getting Squall to lose his temper as he had.  But...for some reason, he felt guilty.  Almost as if...well, as if what he didn't know, but he still felt goddamn awful.  He hadn't even meant things to get that out of hand, only, it seemed, after all these years, he had finally managed to strike a nerve.  The words he was saying had twisted, become sharper, uglier.  Fuck.  How different would things have been if he'd known all those years ago that yes, Squall was gay?  

Well, he knew now.  Along with the rest of garden...  Their ~very~ public argument in the quad had ensured that.  So now they were back where it had started before.  Back in the private training ground that they'd discovered together in the Balamb mountains.

Memories of that fateful day travelled idly through Seifer's mind as he absently blocked Squall's first testing, probing attacks.  Then the real attack started, and all thought was gone as the two SeeDs fought viciously back and forth across the bare mountain top.

There was a flash of lightning, a crack of thunder, and the downpour came from nowhere.  Seifer froze, memories suddenly cascading through his mind...

***FLASHBACK***

He could see the sudden storm had unnerved the younger teenager, who backed away as he pressed home his attack.  He almost laughed as Squall tripped over a rock and landed hard on his ass, almost.  Hyne, but the brunette had to be really freaked for that to happen.  

Seifer smirked as the younger teenager rose to a kneeling position.  Devilment flashed through his mind, and as Squall looked up, Hyperion flashed down...

As a line of blood suddenly welled up and ran over Squall's face, Seifer realised his error.  A few millimetres...  how the hell had he come so close?  He'd intended to miss by a good ten or fifteen centimetres - scare the boy, not scar him.  The sudden fear as he wondered what aiming closer might've done held Seifer motionless for the time it took Squall's lionheart to come flashing up...

***END FLASHBACK***

Squall's lionheart came flashing down...

The gleaming blade, glowing its usual eerie blue in the storm's half-light, sliced cleanly through cloth and skin as though they didn't exist.  Seconds later, eyes fixed on the dark trail of blood snaking down his opponent's blade, Seifer felt the burn of the wound.  But even as one hand, unbelieving, lifted to his throat, he was spinning, flinging his arm out so that, had Squall not swayed backwards, the brunette would have been decapitated by the bright blur of Hyperion's steel.

In the vacuum of silence that fell, a look of bewilderment spread across the SeeD commander's face as he too lifted a hand to his wound.  Bright red, even in the darkness, the blood spilling freely down his chest was slowly dying the white top a gory crimson.  Squall didn't seem to notice either the wound or the blood, his fingers instead flying to the Griever pendant that had, somehow, escaped the blade unscathed.

There was a sudden flash of lightning as the storm broke, and Seifer knew his wound was more serious than he had first thought.  His head was spinning and his vision blurred, and he could have sworn in that flash of lightning that he had seen shadowy wings wrapped around Squall.  The thunder rolled, loud in his ears, and Seifer saw Squall starting to cast a spell.  Then everything faded into darkness...

AN: Much better *grins*


	2. Realisation

AN: Guess you noticed that some small elements of the Game have changed - like no fire spell in the beginning duel.  You should see why that was changed by the end of the next chapter.

Disclaimers: I don't own any of the characters mentioned in this chapter *sighs* wish I did, I can think of far more entertaining things to do with them... *smirks*

Warnings: Language (guess Seifer's not too impressed with his latest scar), but that's all (so far)

**Book One of the Sorcerer Arc ~ History Repeating ~ Chapter Two ~ Realisation**

Seifer didn't know how Squall had managed it, but somehow he'd gotten them both to the infirmary in Garden.  Not bad considering both of them had nearly had their throats slit, and their shoulders pretty much fucked up.  At least, he thought his shoulder was out of action...it might just be the insane amount of bandaging Dr Kadowaki liked to put on things.  Question was, did it actually hurt?

He had his answer a few seconds later when he attempted to sit up.  The bandaged shoulder suddenly seemed on fire, severed nerve endings screaming at him as the movement jarred them.  The blond groaned, managing to attract the attention of Dr Kadowaki.

"You're awake huh?"  Seifer glared at her as he slowly sat up.

No, I'm asleep, you're fucking dreaming.  He thought sourly, rolling his eyes irritably.  Pain made him irritable, always had, always would.  That was why he'd stormed off four years ago, leaving Squall to the mercy of the elements.  Fortunately he'd calmed down in time to return and fight off the T-Rexaur coming to investigate.  

He'd never told anyone, not even Fujin and Raijin.  It wasn't anything to be proud of, saving Squall's life in that situation.  After all, the brunette was quite capable of dealing with a T-Rexaur on his own, had he not been sprawled, unconscious, on the ground.  And his being in that vulnerable position was Seifer's fault.  If anything, Seifer was ashamed at himself.

"Well, I guess what goes around comes around."  Seifer's eyes opened wide at the comment.  "How dare you!"  Dr Kadowaki exclaimed as he cast Esuna on himself.  All magic was forbidden in the infirmary, but Seifer knew he wouldn't make it to anywhere he could use magic before collapsing.  Hurriedly he stood up, relieved when there was only a mild protest from the torn shoulder muscles.

"Where's Squall?"  He demanded.  Dr Kadowaki frowned.

"If you think I'm going to..."  Seifer was in no mood for patience.

"Cut the crap and tell me!"  He snarled across the beginning of the lecture.  Dr Kadowaki sniffed.

"In his office, most likely, but..."  Seifer didn't wait to hear any more, pushing roughly past the doctor and bolting out of the infirmary.

***

"Squall...?"  Seifer burst into the office to find Squall absorbed in whatever file he had on his computer.  The brunette looked up, an eyebrow arching in query, but clearly unsurprised by the sudden interruption. Seifer decided Dr Kadowaki had to have called ahead to warn Squall he was on his way.

With an irritated roll of his eyes, the SeeD Commander went back to the file.  Seifer stood there blankly for a moment.  There had to be ~some~ reason he'd just bolted all this way from the infirmary...  Didn't there?  A frown creased his forehead and his eyes closed as he concentrated.  For some reason his thoughts just kept scattering from conscious realisation...  

"You wanted something Seifer?"  The curt question pulled Seifer back to reality.  Automatically he went to run his hand through his hair, stopping short with a curse as the movement pulled his wound painfully tight.  "Here."  He managed a passable catch with his left hand, identifying the bottle as an elixir before awkwardly pulling the cork out to drink the contents.

As the pain faded, so did the blank that had been hiding his thoughts from him.  Seifer's eyes narrowed, and he stared at Squall for a moment, ignoring the warning glare as he strode around the SeeD Commander's desk to peer at the screen.  Unfortunately Squall had already closed whatever file had claimed his attention.  It didn't matter.  Seifer had his suspicions, and damned if he was going to let them go unaired.

"Is the bitch dead or not?"  He demanded acidly, remaining where he was so that Squall had both to turn and to look up at him.

"So you figured it out."  Squall commented, then turned away.  "Ultemecia is dead.  There's no question of that."  Seifer walked back around the desk.  The brunette was leaning with his elbows on the desk and with his hands steepled, fingers idly tapping against one another.  Seifer remained silent, knowing any comment he might make would only be used as an excuse to avoid the issues at hand.  Finally Squall sighed, unusually uncomfortable in the silence, and irritably shuffled some papers.

"The question is, who is the new sorceress, and what is she trying to do?"  Seifer scratched his cheek, realising from the harsh rasp of stubble against his nails that he needed to shave.

"So what do you intend to do Leonhart?"  Squall shrugged, biting his lower lip without realising.  Seifer waited.  He knew the brunette well enough to know that lip chewing was a secret on the verge of being revealed.  The question was, did Squall still trust him enough to let the secret slip?

Emotions flickered across Squall's eyes at such a pace that Seifer gave in trying to identify them.  There was a serious internal argument going on in the brunette's head, that much was obvious.  Slowly he walked around the desk to Squall's side, crouching so that he didn't loom over the hunched figure.

"What is it Squall?"  He asked softly, trying to coax the hidden internal monologue into the open.  

"I suppose, if you're all going to hate me, I might as well start with you..."  Squall looked at him suddenly then, and Seifer nearly rocked backwards under the intensity of the emotion in his gaze.  He hadn't seen such a combination of fear and determination in the younger man's eyes for a long time.  Had secretly hoped never to see this look, this look that spoke volumes of expected rejection, ever again.  Slowly the brunette reached to remove the ever-present Griever pendant...

AN: *expires* never let anyone tell you re-writing stuff is easy...IT'S NOT!!  anyway, chapter two re-done ;) – now for coffee... *wanders off*


	3. Confession

AN: This is where I keep my promise to explain why Seifer didn't use a fire spell in the first fight for this fic.  Woo, many Fs :) *giggles*

Disclaimers: No originals (yet), so I don't own the two hottest guys in ff8 *cries* someone persuade Squaresoft to sell them to me ;_; *sniffles*

Warnings: Um, language (again - Seifer's never really bothered about 'polite' language), but that's still all

**Book One of the Sorcerer Arc ~ History Repeating ~ Chapter Three ~ Confession**

"Did you ever wonder how I'm a year younger, but always as good as you?"  Squall asked conversationally, hand lingering on the catch of the pendant.  Seifer nodded dumbly, wondering what the hell Squall – normally blunter than a wooden spoon – was leading up to.

"This never leaves this room, understand?"  The harsh command made Seifer blink in surprise.  Something strange was going on.  Sure Squall could jump from emotion to emotion quicker than a Cactuar could run away, even if he never showed it, but this...  He suddenly realised Squall was glaring at him impatiently.

"Alright, alright."  He muttered.  The brunette slowly pulled the Griever pendant away from around his neck.

Seifer's mouth dropped open as the ice-blue eyes staring at him slowly melted into a solid yellow.

"Holy fucking Hyne..."  Seifer whispered, feeling like someone had just punched him in the gut.  "You're a sorcerer?"  Squall nodded wordlessly, and replaced the pendant.  The yellow melted away, and Seifer was staring into two cold blue eyes once more.  Two cold blue eyes that now looked infinitely weary, but otherwise showed no emotion at all.  Squall had retreated behind his wall of ice once more, waiting for the inevitable rejection.

"B...b...but...so...how long...who...why..."  Seifer stammered, making no sense at all.  Squall sighed in relief and raised a hand to lightly rub the wound from that morning.  She had healed it – whatever her name was who had presumed to possess him – just as Ultemecia had healed Seifer's scar that morning long ago.  Seifer wanted details of course, he would too in the blond's place, but he hadn't rejected him.  The blond hadn't run away screaming – not that he could imagine Seifer doing that for anything – or rejoicing that this was his chance to redeem himself in the eyes of a biased world.  He had just accepted the brunette for what he was.  That was enough for Squall to trust him with the rest, for his own reasons.

"Even I don't know much," he gave a harsh laugh, "sorcerers tend to be much more secretive than sorceresses..."  He broke off to sigh and gesture at the chair in front of his desk.  "If I'm going to start from the beginning, you might want to sit down."  Seifer thought about staying where he was, simply out of pride, but then his shoulder throbbed painfully, reminding him that this was Squall, master of the understatement.  This wasn't just going to be long, it was going to be an epic.  Sense winning out over pride, Seifer went and sat in the indicated chair.

"There's very little written about sorcerers, and what little there is isn't very helpful.  Only if you're interested in the history."  He sighed again.  "There's only ever one sorcerer in a family at a time – but the lives of two will overlap, the emergence of the new sorcerer signals the death of the old one – unlike sorceresses.  A sorcerer is born – the powers aren't passed on – but the pendant," he tapped it with a finger, "is."  Seifer was frowning, understanding now what the brunette had meant about the information being unhelpful.  But Squall continued.  "The powers increase over the years, and only when they began to mature did I realise, or suspect, what was going on."

"How?"  Seifer finally found his voice, and a break in which to insert it.  Squall grimaced.

"Waking up with yellow eyes was a rather big giveaway."  He shrugged, the lack of emotion not lost on the blond.  "Anyway, that was a couple of years before Ultemecia.  You remember when Cid packed us all off to Deling for that festival?"  Seifer nodded, remembering the trip – which had involved him, Squall, Zell and Quistis – but confused by the sudden topic jump.  Then it struck him.

"The pendant..."  He unintentionally breathed aloud.  Squall nodded, then leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes.

"That was where my Grandfather – on Raine's side – found me and told me what I was.  He explained a few things, gave me the pendant, then died, right in front of me."  Seifer suddenly felt guilty for every time he'd teased Squall, trying to hurt him.  Determined to hurt him and force the younger man to show some emotion other than his usual apathy.  Not knowing the pain that the brunette already carried inside.  Hyne.  To have a double blow like that delivered; discovering you were a sorcerer, discovering you had family, and then seeing that family die in front of you.  

Seifer looked up in time to see Squall's eyes open again.  They were colder and harder than ever.  Six years – such a long time to keep everything bottled up inside.  Too long.  But for some reason – the powers? – the brunette seemed unwilling, or unable, to let his emotions out.

"That was when I started wearing the pendant.  I told everyone I'd picked it up at a junk shop – remember?"  Seifer nodded mutely.  He did remember, vaguely.  But he understood now why Squall had changed suddenly.  He'd gone from being Seifer's companion in havoc-making around Garden to the most studious of them all, rivalling even Quistis for his time hunting through the library's stockpile of mouldering tomes, searching for something he would never talk about.  Seifer guessed the brunette had been looking for something, anything, about what he was, and what he could expect in the future.  From the fears that he had seen in the SeeD Commander's eyes as he admitted to being a sorcerer, Seifer could easily guess just what the brunette had managed to find.

"So...Ultemecia..."  Seifer wasn't sure how to phrase his question without sounding critical, or accusing.  But Squall seemed to understand, and even looked relieved as he shook his head. 

"No.  I wasn't strong enough..."  There was a pause, and Seifer waited patiently.  "Then..."

AN: OK.  Third chapter down.  I'm on a roll here people... shame it's going to come crashing to an end in, oh, an hour or so, as I have lectures!!  

An explanation as to the lack of fireball in the first duel.  Squall is a sorcerer, so Seifer's fireball would've been absorbed and would have given him away big time – at least to Seifer.  

Another thing, these first three chapters were originally written as a result of IDWTDH (I Don't Want To Do Homework) Syndrome, when frankly the amount of work I had to do sucked.  On the other hand, writing them gave me less time to do the piles of work I had to do.  

The least that could be done is to give me Squall and Seifer as consolation *gets down on knees and makes hopeful puppy eyes at Squaresoft* and I still feel this is true ;)

RxR, flame, call me a lunatic (which I am), ~I DON'T CARE~ o.O  

REVIEWS FROM VERSION 1:

Reviewer: Yoink Daydurfurits

Date: 08/10/2002

For Chapter: 3

Review: Wow... I mean wow.  It's good.  I love Squall being a Sorcerer...er...yeah I hope that's how you spell it. LoL.  Good job on all three chapies so far.

They are really good.  I LOVE SQUALL!!!!!

WhyDee

aka

YD

Author's response:   Well thanx :)  Yes, that is how you spell it ;)  Hope you enjoy the rest (and the new version) just as much 8-) 


	4. Decision

AN: Chapter four *does a weird hand jive* can you tell I found the coffee? ;;

Disclaimers: No originals yet, and so far not one complaint out of my original muse – wherever she's gone *peers around for muse* - nope, no sign of her.  Guess you're stuck with just the boys again :) Now who could complain about that? ;p

Warnings: Well, considering the whole story has an overall rating of R, I'm beginning to wonder if there's any point to this section... *muses*

**Book One of the Sorcerer Arc ~ History Repeating ~ Chapter Four ~ Decision**

"Then..."  Seifer repeated.  "As opposed to now...?"  Squall stood abruptly and walked over to the window.  He stared out at the Alcaud Plains, then let his eyes slowly wander across Balamb town and up to the faint smudge on the horizon that was Dollet.

"She's in Dollet.  I'm going on the SeeD test."  Seifer had, vaguely, been expecting it.  He'd been getting lax in keeping up with the gossip – too used to official word filtering down to him via Squall or Quistis, or Zell's big mouth.  How in hell had he missed that the SeeD test was in Dollet again?  Or maybe he hadn't.  Squall was known for springing tests with the bare minimum of warning, so maybe the Dollet request had been the file he was working on earlier, back when Seifer had burst into the office.  But Squall's decision still surprised the blond.  

That the brunette had just neatly sidestepped his question, and cut short his explanation, evaded Seifer in his surprise.

"That's a stupid idea and you know it."  He smirked as the younger man turned and frowned at him, but his mind was rapidly working to figure out just why it was a bad idea.  After all, if this sorceress was weaker than Squall they could defeat her today and have done with it.  Of course, if she ~wasn't~ weaker...  That was the can of geezards that made the whole idea a bad one.

"~She~ - whoever she is - is looking for ~me~.  She just doesn't know which of two SeeDs, two commanders, I am."  Seifer shrugged, wondering which – of Irvine and Martine – other commander Squall was referring to.

"So there's no need to make it easier for her."  Squall's frown deepened.  Seifer suppressed a sigh of resignation.  There was clearly not going to be any moving Squall from his planned course of action.  The blond further suppressed an impulse to snort irritably.  Squall was supposed to be the cautious, sensible one.  This kind of thing was ~his~ domain, rushing in without a plan.  Besides, there was always an unforeseen problem, he knew that well enough.

"I'm not.  You're coming with me, and so is Zell."  Seifer's face, which had brightened at his own inclusion, fell again.

"Do you have to bring the chickenwuss?"  He demanded.  "He'll be as useless now as he was then."  Squall shrugged.

"He was in the original group.  Besides, Quistis is out on a mission, Selphie and Irvine are in charge of Trabia..."  The unspoken words 'and I drove Rinoa away', hung in the air.  "Plus, Zell's probably the only one who won't put everything together and come up with the right answer."  Seifer had to concede the point.

"What happens if she decides to make sure it's not you by trying to kill you?"  Squall shrugged.  "Oh that's a brilliant fucking plan Leonhart!"  Seifer finally exploded.  "You just plan to walk up there and introduce yourself by saying 'Hi, I'm Squall, and I'm not the sorcerer you're looking for'?"  Squall raised an eyebrow, but Seifer continued before he could interrupt.  "Or something along those lines...  And then what?  You really think she's going to say, 'Ok, I believe you, sorry to have bothered you' and fly off?"  He threw his hands in the air and turned away, starting to pace.  "C'mon Squall!  She's going to take the opportunity to take down the person who killed Ultemecia, if for no other reason than to demoralise SeeD!"  He snorted angrily and lowered his voice, muttering fiercely to himself.  "Over my dead body she'll kill you."

"Just how do you propose to do it?"  His back turned to the brunette, Seifer missed the fleeting expression of surprise and pleasure that crossed Squall's face, but caught the last traces of hope that refused to fade behind his stony façade.

"Like this..."  And with that, Seifer began to explain his plan.

AN: ok, hands up who noticed the 'deliberate' error in the disclaimer at the top... *sneakily puts hand up*

Original Muse: hah! you didn't notice it first time around!

Zephyr: yes, ok, but no one reviewed to point the mistake out, so they didn't see it either...

Original Muse: maybe they were just laughing too hard to review at all *sniggers*

Zephyr: *sniffles* - for anyone who's lost, I stated in the original disclaimer (which I've left and added this instead ;p) that there were no original characters, which of course is a blatant lie, as we've got the whole 'new sorceress threat' theme going on *rolls eyes at self*

REVIEWS FROM VERSION 1:

Reviewer: Aline1

Date: 09/10/2002

For Chapter: 4

Review:  This story really good it will be intresting to see what happens next

Author's response:   Glad you're enjoying it.  Hope you enjoy the improved version as much.

Reviewer:  savagemind

Date: 10/10/2002

For Chapter: 4

Review:  Hiya babe!!  Tis me!! heheh ;)

FANTASTIC!!!  I mean, is there nothing you can't do??!  lol!  Really well written fic!  Just wich I had a better idea of what was going on lol!  But FF sounds really cool from what I've read in your fic, so maybe I'll try and get the game... even though there's like, 10!  That's right isn't it?!

Haha...ha..hmm...  Well I know what I'm talking about!! ;)

Anyways, keep up the amazing work!!  I can never get over just how talented you are!!

Love and hugs!

Me :)

PS. I love the A/Ns!!  Sooo funny!!!!  Hahahah!! :D

Author's Response:   Hey sweetie :)  Thanks *blushes* - I think anyway o.O  I'm sure the whole 'nothing you can't do' means the same as 'anything you can do'...  Ah well *shrugs*  FF is the coolest (although debates over exactly which one is the coolest have gotten pretty heated in my experience ^^;;) but there are a few more than 10 now.  Ah well, you were probably accurate at the time ;)  And thanx for reading the ANs as well :)


	5. Dollet, Again

AN: Here be the SeeD exam, take 2 (or is this now take 3 as it's a re-write? o.O)

Disclaimers: The characters aren't mine... yet mwahahahaha! *evil grin* ;}

Warnings: I'm dispensing with warnings as of the next chapter.  It's an overall R rating, so expect anything and everything (except NC-17 of course)

**Book One of the Sorcerer Arc ~ History Repeating ~ Chapter Five ~ Dollet, Again**

"So, tell me again why we're coming on the SeeD exam?"  Zell asked.  Seifer rolled his eyes beneath closed eyelids, and continued to feign sleep.  Squall had done the right thing by pushing off to the gun turret to 'see what was going on'.  Really it should've been him, Seifer, who went - if their roles were truly reversed - but Squall had been up and gone, and Seifer wasn't about to argue with his commander now that he knew Squall was a sorcerer.

"Aw c'mon Seifer!"  Zell finally exploded.  "I know you're not asleep!  What the frickin' hell's goin on?!  Why in Hyne's name are we here?!"  Seifer opened an eye, then with a sigh, both eyes.

"Well, see, your mother met your father and..."

"You know what I mean Seifer."  Zell interrupted hastily, the redness of a blush warring with the redness of fury.  "Why the hell are we on the frickin' SeeD exam?  What the hell is going on?!"  Seifer rolled his eyes again.

"What do you think is goin on, chickenwuss?"  He sneered, fixing the blond with a glare.  "Puberty boy got it into his head to personally supervise the SeeD exam."  He shrugged, then leaned back and closed his eyes again.  "If I'd had my way, you'd be back in Balamb."  Zell bristled, but said nothing.  Seifer suddenly sat up and leered at him.  "But that's what you want isn't it.  To be back in Balamb with that chick from the library."  Zell's face darkened.

"You leave her out of this."  Seifer grinned, having decided that the only possible benefit of repeating Dollet with Zell, was having the pleasure of irritating him.  He stood and stretched.

"She gives great head you know."  He tossed back over his shoulder, striding out of the room and heading for the gun turret.

"You bastard!"  He heard Zell's shout of rage drift out to him.  Clearly the other blond thought he was joking...

***

The town wasn't deserted.  This wasn't the prelude to a war, not this time.  SeeD's assistance had been requested in culling the unusually high numbers of anacondaurs, reported in the mountain passes between the port of Dollet and the Hasberry Plains.  Also unusually, and perhaps suspiciously, this was a joint request between the Dollet Dukedom and Galbadia.  Still, knowing both the area and the monsters to be found there, Squall had decided that the conditions were ideal for one of his infamous SeeD exams to be sprung upon the unsuspecting cadets of Balamb Garden.

The townspeople watched the three pass with a mixture of expressions.  Some, recognising Squall and Zell gave friendly waves, although only Zell responded to those.  Others, recognising Seifer and Squall, wore puzzled expressions, still unable to reconcile in their own minds how quickly Garden had re-accepted the former sorceress's knight.  Fortunately there were only a few who wore hatred openly on their faces, and most of those quickly turned away upon seeing that Seifer was not only armed, but in the company of two equally reputed fighters.

A command post had already been set up by the time the three reached the main mountain pass.  Even for such a routine mission the SeeDs and cadets had worked swiftly and efficiently, and now most were reporting in that their areas were clear.  But there was one group that had not reported in, and were not responding to calls over their radios.  It was with this news that a SeeD approached Squall on his arrival.

"What was their last transmission, and when?"  The SeeD looked flustered, revealing that he didn't know.  

"I'll find out Sir."  He hurried over to another SeeD, hunched over a portable communications set and busily writing down messages that were then handed to various runners.  Occasionally a runner would deposit a reply on the other side of the desk, which was then transmitted to the intended recipient.  There was a brief conversation between the two SeeDs, which resulted in the first being given a slip of paper.  A record of transmission.  As he turned away, the communications SeeD suddenly called him back, verbally reciting a message that seemed to have just come in.  

***

"Mayor is requesting that a Squad clear the path between the town and the communications tower.  Permission to take Squad B and carry out a sweep of the communications tower."  Seifer read slowly, Squall already having hastily scanned the note.  "Message received at 11h28.  Response sent at 11h30.  Permission granted."  He glanced at his watch.  "It's now 11h45."  There was no response.  "Squall?"  Seifer looked up to see the SeeD who had met them gesticulating at Squall, who looked singularly unimpressed.

"...requesting permission to backtrack and make a physical search of the area."  Was all Seifer heard as he drew closer.  Squall's frown managed to deepen.

"Denied.  No Squad is to deviate from its assigned position."  The SeeD seemed to sag.  "We'll check it out."  Seifer brightened, then his shoulders slumped as he realised what Squall's words meant.  The brunette knew that Squad B were already dead, killed by a foe far too powerful for them.  Knew that sending another Squad, or rather, letting another Squad go after Squad B, would be letting them go to their deaths.

Leaving the SeeD to send that information through the various communications channels, Squall strode back over to Zell, dragging Seifer in his wake.

"So what do we do now?"  Zell demanded, having – judging from the splatters of gore on his fists and feet – managed to find and kill a geezard, and simultaneously miss out on all the real action.  Squall shared a glance with Seifer.

"We go check out the communication tower."  Zell groaned at Squall's words.

"Man...again?  I mean, I dunno about you guys, but last time was enough for me."  Seifer shrugged.

"I guess you could go conduct a front line inspection, make sure none of the other Squads has decided to ignore orders and head up to the tower."  Zell froze, his gaze flicking from Squall to Seifer.  A frown slowly creased his forehead and he straightened, crossing his arms determinedly.

"Something's going on.  I'd like an explanation before anyone goes anywhere."  Seifer snorted quietly, but left Squall to reply.  This was going to be interesting.

"I'm your superior Zell.  I don't have to explain my orders.  Just trust me."  Zell contrived to look hurt at Squall's words.

"I also thought you were my friend.  Friends explain even when they don't have to.  Maybe I was wrong."  Squall's flinch was almost visible.  Without consciously thinking, Seifer shifted, placing himself between Squall and Zell.  The tattooed blond looked from Squall to Seifer, eyes narrowed.  "So that's the way the wind blows."  He muttered, then shrugged as Seifer started to bristle.  "Hey, I got no problems with that.  And I do trust you Squall.  It's just, the communications tower ~again~?"  It was Seifer's turn to shrug.

"Could be that the tower is jamming their comm. signal."  Zell nodded.

"Well, just as long as it's not another Sorceress..."  Squall and Seifer refused to meet his eyes.  "Oh man.  Please tell me it's not..."

"Not here Zell."  Squall snapped, suddenly becoming aware that several SeeDs were covertly trying to eavesdrop the conversation.  After a moment Zell nodded.

"You owe me an explanation after this though."  Squall nodded curtly, then began to head back towards the town.  And the communications tower. 

***

The path to the communications tower was deserted, free even of the few anacondaurs that usually inhabited the area, and the top of the mountain was shrouded in a dense mist.  From the overlooking cliff, the tall structure looked squat and foreboding, looming darkly through the pale fog.  Squall shivered.  There was no one alive up here except ~her~.  But he knew ~she~ wasn't the only reason he could feel his sixth sense screaming at him that there was something dangerous nearby.

Seifer could feel it too, and reacted by drawing Hyperion, looking around for the cause of the raised hairs along the back of his neck.  There was just the mist.  Zell suddenly loomed into view, startling Seifer so much that the blond almost attacked, but fortunately for Zell, Seifer controlled the impulse.  Squall was a sorcerer, he would know if danger were coming, and from where.  Seifer turned to look for the brunette.

"Shit..."  Squall was nowhere in sight, although it didn't necessarily mean that he wasn't nearby.  After all, Zell had loomed out of nowhere, and Squall already had the ability to fade into the background...  Seifer knew he was trying to reason away his panic, and the truth.  Squall wasn't on the mountain top.  Seifer guessed the brunette had probably slipped away as soon as Zell had turned up.

"What's with this mist?"  Zell demanded, right behind Seifer, nearly earning himself another decapitation.  "And where's Squall?"  Seifer rolled his eyes at the question.  He was beginning to wonder whether having someone with a brain might have been a better idea in the long run.

"Don't know."  He answered both questions curtly, mind racing.  If he was a sorceress trying to lure out a sorcerer, how would he do it?  Especially if he suspected Squall?  And if he discovered that Squall was the sorcerer, what would he do?

AN: Now I have to figure out the answers to Seifer's questions...again!  Oh well, on with the story...

Uh, yeah, I'm not being deliberately horrible to Zell *frowns*...  OK, I am slightly, but I need him to be slightly slow at the beginning, I'll try to let him get up to speed later, but, aw hell – I'm being horrible to Zell, it's the Seifer in me, if the Chickenwuss can live with it, so can you, if you don't like it, flame me – but still RxR :)

(this is what drinking a screamer at lunch does... strange moods...)

REVIEWS FROM VERSION 1:

Reviewer: himiko

Date: 12/01/2003

For Chapter: 5

Review:  i like the concept of the story.  and the smooth flowing pace of the narrative.  and decided to review it before i get to the end.  it's always sad when a story end, but i'm pulling my hair out waiting for wip too...  oh well, can't have everything, can we?

welcome among the lunatics, btw, and the homework/fictime dilemna is an old old one too... *grin* i'd tell you to get rid of the work first, but that'd be hypocrisy and to be frank, i rather appreciate that pple took time to write and post.  strawberry pocky for your effort.  *wink*

Author's response:   thanks muchly :)  No longer a homework/fictime dilemma, but a lecture/fictime dilemma now ;)  And I ~still~ don't know what the hell pocky is...


	6. The Best Laid Plans

AN: The saga continues... yes, I am trying to get this done with a reasonable speed, but given the length of my To Do list, I think I'm allowed to be a little slow hopes she's gotten away with it

Disclaimers: All the characters are Squaresoft's ;; no matter what I try to bribe them with – mobile phone, broken laptop, CD-Rs by the dozen – they still won't play sniffles ;;

**Book One of the Sorcerer Arc History Repeating Chapter Six The Best Laid Plans...**

"Snipers..."  Seifer muttered to himself.  He wasn't certain, but he was pretty sure the bullet fired at Edea/Ultemecia in Dollet had been ordinary sniper issue, not anti-magic.  That was how her shield had protected her, although her speed would also have protected her – had leaping out of the way of a bullet not been below her image.

"What...?"  Zell, behind Seifer, hadn't heard the muttered comment, but he had heard something through the muffling mist.  Seifer ignored him, closing his eyes and letting his thoughts flow.

Squall had to have already answered the questions Seifer was now considering, but would his conclusions have been any different?  Either way, it seemed fairly obvious that snipers were out of the question.  After all, a sorcerer or sorceress would be able to detect them as they lay in wait – at least at this distance.  Anti-magic bullets would be needed to penetrate any magic barrier, and at least eleven snipers would be needed to cover every angle – defeating the superhuman speed Squall had also to possess.

So how else could Squall be defeated?  Well, there was the fact that he was trying not to be discovered, which effectively left him with the powers of an A rated SeeD – admittedly one with two of the most powerful GFs known.  So, all she needed to do was put Squall in a position where only sorcerous powers would save him.  If he died he was one less enemy, and a crushing blow to SeeD had been dealt, as well as confirming that Irvine/Martine was the sorcerer.  If he lived he was the sorcerer.

How would she try to set Squall up?  What could she do that would force him to reveal himself or die?  It had to be something that couldn't be dealt with using a GF... 

The Comm. Tower loomed in Seifer's mind as it had through the mist, only in his thoughts it was tall enough to brush the clouds, easily doubling the distance from the top, down over the cliffs, all the way to the foam-flecked rocks of the icy sea below.

Seifer opened his eyes, took a deep breath and ran forwards, leaping off the small cliff on which he had been standing.  Time and space distorted in the mist, although the faint wail of protest from Zell reached him before he saw the ground rushing up at him.

He landed hard and fell over, uncaring, knowing that the GF he had junctioned would prevent him from taking any harm from the earth.  This close to the tower the mist had somehow vanished, convincing Seifer that it was magical rather than natural.  Slowly he stood, hearing the sounds of combat, and wondering if he was too late.  He looked up, in time to see a sorceress avoid Eden's eternal breath.

"Hyne...!"  Seifer exclaimed quietly.  Even Ultemecia hadn't been able to fend off Eden's attack, but this sorceress hadn't even flinched.  He watched as Squall drew Lionheart, noting the way the sorceress paused for the barest moment.  She was scared of the blade for some reason, determined not to let Squall attack her with it.  Was that because the blade was the one that had killed Ultemecia?  Or was it for another reason entirely? He blinked suddenly, realising the positions on the tower had changed suddenly.  Squall was now being pressed back, towards the edge of the Comm. Tower... 

Seifer bit back a curse.  Clearly the sorceress was more powerful than Squall, otherwise he was certain the brunette would have taken her on there and then.  He knew Squall would rather be shunned by society – hated and hounded as Seifer had been after Ultemecia's defeat – than let another sorceress inflict her schemes on a world still recovering from the events – now four years in the past – that were still casting their shadow over the present. 

It was also clear that there was no way the plan he'd come up with, and Squall had – somewhat reluctantly – agreed to, would work.  Not in its original form anyway.  Besides, if she could avoid Eden's attack, there was little hope that it would have worked anyway.  But, with a few subtle modifications, there might still be a way, not to defeat her – any hope of that had died with Eden's attack – but to at least save Squall and keep her guessing. 

Praying his luck would hold, and his desperate plan would work, Seifer ran to the cliff edge...

AN: A new (and improved ;p) title!  Yes, it is part of a quote (although don't ask me where from or who by...), the whole thing being 'The best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray'. 


	7. Hades

AN: Hades is one of my more loved original GFs, he appears in this fic and at least one other (unposted) fic.  I wanted a nice strong GF who was a bit of a conundrum - you'll see where that comes in during this chapter...

Disclaimers: Seifer's GF is mine... at least I got something of his *smirks* :p  The sorceress is also mine, but everyone else is Squaresoft's *pouts and throws tantrum*  wanna Squall and Seifer! – I'm not mad, honest, I didn't just say that... wanna... *slams hand over mouth* :W

**Book One of the Sorcerer Arc ~ History Repeating ~ Chapter Seven ~ Hades**

Squall stood, arms folded, thoughts drifting as the elevator rose.  She was up there, he could feel her, although that was something he couldn't give away.  At least he had a reputation for being stoic – and practise at disguising his real feelings.  A faint grimace crossed his face, then vanished as the elevator lurched.  This whole thing was a gamble that could go very badly wrong.  If she was stronger than him...  If she saw through the ruse...  If Seifer's plan failed...  Too many ifs, and all so fragile.  She had to be sure of herself to challenge him like this, and that meant that she had to be at least marginally more powerful than Ultemecia.  And she was already sure it was him – why else would she carry through with this plan after 'successfully' possessing him that morning?  As for Seifer's plan...it was a good plan, a very good plan, but...  There were too many things that had to go right, and that Squall felt uncomfortably certain had already gone wrong...

The brunette tucked the Griever pendant inside his shirt, feeling the cold metal press against his chest.  It wouldn't do for her to see that.  Not given the fact that he had found enough in the old texts to indicate that it was fairly common knowledge amongst the sorceresses that some sort of pendant was carried by the sole remaining sorcerer.  Fortunately pendants were as common amongst men as women – even Seifer had a chain with a (blank), name plate.  Irvine didn't have a pendant, but then, Squall supposed it was possible that the pendant could be transformed into a ring or bracelet of some sort, possibly even an earring.  After all, physical size had nothing to do with the pendant's powers.

Bright daylight and a cool breeze announced his arrival at the top of the tower.  As he stepped off the elevator, Squall found himself automatically looking for Biggs, the Galbadian soldier who had repaired the Comm. Tower, or a brief glimpse of Wedge, his lieutenant.  Somewhere, at the back of his mind, scenes from the past played, images flickering like an old tape movie.  He let the past take him, turning to watch the memory of the communications dish erupting into readiness for Galbadia's upcoming broadcast, then turning again, seeing Seifer bursting out of the elevator shaft, itching for a fight, and inadvertently triggering the events leading to the destruction of a cruiser, and a squad.

Seifer had never quite been his old, arrogant self after that.  Sure, he'd gone over to the sorceress, but Squall suspected Ultemecia had twisted the sense of failure and guilt that Seifer had to have been feeling.  One day, he was sure, the blond would tell him.  Until then, everything was just speculation...

"But speculation is so much fun..."  Squall turned, hand falling to the hilt of his gunblade, but not yet drawing it.  A fine red haze hung around the figure in front of him.  The sorceress.  

Although he hadn't expected to be very surprised by her appearance, Squall found he had no need to amplify his surprise.  It wasn't that she was ugly, like Adel, or adorned with a bizarre headdress, like Edea.  She didn't even have wings like Ultemecia – or at least, if she did they weren't in evidence.  In fact, she was rather stunning.

Squall was suddenly glad she had come after him and not Irvine.  If the cowboy had one weakness, it was women, and the sorceress in front of him would've had no difficulty seducing the hapless sex maniac into bed.  He adjusted his grip on the handle of Lionheart, calling on the junction in his mind.  He could feel her strength this close, could feel the terrible truth that he could not defeat her without surrendering completely to his powers.  Either she had knight somewhere already, or she had taken the powers of another sorceress...

You're being played for a fool Squall, act like one.  Even as he summoned Eden, he cast firaga at the sorceress.  She laughed, a strangely musical sound.  The fireball barely lived past a few inches from Squall's outstretched hand.  Then the presence of Eden was there, but the sorceress was already twisting the fabric of space, deflecting Eden's lethal attack harmlessly to one side.  Squall had to admit, the method wasn't difficult.  It seemed she too was bluffing, trying to hold back from letting him see her true strength.

But she wasn't going to let him close with Lionheart.  As he drew and raised the gunblade to attack, there was a fierce push at his chest, knocking him backwards, off-balance.  Even as he struggled to regain the lost balance, the world flickered, space being twisted again.  Squall found himself on the edge of the platform, and the sorceress preparing to cast ultima.

"Who are you?!"  He demanded.  The sorceress's eyes flared yellow through the red mist.  The ultima spell faltered.  Then she raised her hand higher, focusing the spell, holding it, ready to cast.  She seemed to be debating.  "If I'm going to die, I want to know who killed me..."  Her laugh this time was mocking.

"I am Kylari..."  Her eyes flared red for a moment, then faded back to a glowing yellow as she cast the spell.  Squall could only watch, waiting.  Time seemed to slow, the sorceress gliding forwards and around him, whispering words that tugged at the edge of understanding, but whose meaning eluded him.  Comprehension would come, Squall knew that, but he would have to give it time... The sorceress, Kylari, was back where she had cast the spell from.  Squall just had time to note that she did indeed have wings – wings that were invisible to the mortal eye – and then the ultima spell hit him.

***

Seifer stared down for a moment, seeing how small and insignificant the spray flecked rocks far below seemed.  The wind was just strong enough to make him cautious, whipping at his long coat and pushing against his body.  Flattening himself against the comfortingly solid bulk of the tower, Seifer concentrated on summoning his GF, not to attack, but to appear.

Hades announced his presence with a mental roar that reverberated through Seifer's skull, making him grateful for the stability of the tower at his back.  He didn't know whether anyone else had ever tried summoning a GF to appear physically, rather than as an attack, and, admittedly, Hades was only the second GF Seifer had ever tried it with.  He'd lost Cerberus to Quistis in Galbadia Garden.  He wished he'd known the GF had a deep-seated fear of whips.  According to Selphie the triple-headed hell hound had taken one look at Quistis's Save the Queen and had just rolled over and played dead.

Hades, on the other hand, Seifer had no intention of losing to anyone.  The GF was special, in more ways than one.  For a start, he was at least as powerful as Eden, although not as strong as Griever.  And secondly he was an enigma.  Whilst inescapably an Earth GF, Hades was also partially aligned with his opposed element, Air.

Seifer watched as the dragon, hide shining like quicksilver, glided in towards the cliff edge.  Responding to Seifer's unspoken wishes, the GF turned to fly parallel to the cliff.  Taking a deep breath, Seifer hurled himself off the cliff...

AN: It goeth well... OK, it goeth well for the re-write... not seemingly so for Squall :o


	8. XATV61UE

AN: This chapter may be/is [delete as you see fit] much longer than most of the others (I think - I haven't checked, it just feels bigger), cause I got tired of my plot daemon making me shift chapters - this chapter began life as chapter six and look at it now! :0

Disclaimers: X-ATV61UE is mine *grimaces at originals muse* is that the best you could come up with?  The concept - X-ATM092 - is Squaresoft's, but the successor is mine.  Seifer's GF is also mine.  All the characters however, are Squaresoft's ;_; *pleads with Squaresoft* just one...?

**Book One of the Sorcerer Arc ~ History Repeating ~ Chapter Eight ~ X-ATV61UE**

Seifer landed with a solid thump on the GF's back.  Instantly he was glad of two things, firstly that Hades didn't, as most dragons did, have a row of spikes down his spine, and secondly, for all that he was mostly bone and hard hide, that the GF had a decent layer of pliable muscle to slightly cushion his landing.

Instantly the GF surged upwards, Seifer's knees tightening reflexively to hold himself steady.  The last time he'd ridden Hades anywhere, he'd sparked some interesting rumours.  Still, he hadn't dared try it again, not near anywhere where there were people, which seemed to be everywhere these days.

He looked up, following Hades line of flight, and saw the falling Squall.  Somehow the brunette, whom Seifer was sure had been holding Lionheart, had managed to sheath the weapon.  He wasn't too concerned - it would certainly make catching the falling man safer, if not easier.

The dragon made a final effort, his timing perfect for Seifer to throw his arms around Squall as the brunette landed across Hades neck.  Now that Squall was no longer in danger, Seifer relaxed, the GF relaxing with him and settling into an easy rhythm of flight that could be sustained indefinitely.  But Seifer didn't want to fly indefinitely.  Much as the idea might have been tempting under other circumstances, this was definitely neither the time nor the place to goof off.

As Seifer sighed, Hades banked, circling lazily on a wingtip to face back towards the Dollet mainland.

***

Seifer watched Hades fade out of being from the top of the Comm. Tower.  Squall had come to life as they approached, seeming to answer Seifer's musing on the sorceress by assuring him she had gone.  Seifer wondered if Squall, like Ultemecia, was able to read at least some of his thoughts, but the brunette had made no further comment.

It seemed – or so he was assuming from the lack of enemies – that they were alone.  Despite the near catastrophic breakdown of their original plan, the sorceress seemed satisfied by Seifer's panicked rescue that Squall was not a sorcerer.  Of course, that still left them with the problem they had faced in the first instance.  There was a sorceress out to make trouble.  All they had done was buy some time, but if she was powerful enough to evade Eden's attack...

Seifer was startled out of his thoughts by a light touch on his shoulder.  He spun around, a frown on his face, ready to attack, but it was only Squall.  There was something though...something more than just a sense that something was wrong...  The brunette's eyes were as coldly blue as they ever were, but...  He was shocked to see a tear slowly trailing down Squall's cheek.  

Barely conscious of his own actions, Seifer began to reach out, to brush away the tear that he instinctively knew shouldn't be there.  But Squall stepped back, away from the contact, showing no sign that he knew the tear was there.

"We have to go."  Squall's voice was cold, the emotionless chill Seifer had come to know, and yet...  Like his eyes, something was wrong.  Comprehension lurked on the edge of conscious realisation, but Squall turned away then, and, after a further moment of uncomprehending stillness, Seifer followed.

***

Zell was outside the tower, futilely attempting to open the doors.  He nearly fell when the great steel barriers swung open to let Squall and Seifer out, but quickly recovered his balance.

"Uh, guys..."  He pointed over his shoulder.  "I think we've gotta problem..."  Squall and Seifer looked in the direction Zell was pointing.  

"Ah fuck..."  Seifer muttered.  To say that Zell's statement was an understatement, was, in itself, an understatement.  Squall and Seifer swapped a glance.

"Um, Squall..."  Zell spoke again, staring at him and Seifer in confusion.  "I have no idea what in Hyne's name this thing is, but I do know we ain't gonna defeat it without Eden."  Squall and Seifer swapped another glance, then cast scan on the creature.

Name: X-ATV61UE aka the Blue Widow

HP: High

Str: High

Vit: High

Mag: None

Spr: High

Spd: Medium

Eva%: Low

Hit%: High

Luck: N/A

Elemental weaknesses: Unknown

Elemental strengths: Unknown

"What the fuck...?!"  Seifer exclaimed.  "What the hell kind of scan is that?"  Zell shrugged.

"I think it has some sort of blocking mechanism."  Seifer frowned and drew Hyperion.  A snarl firmly fixed on his face, he dashed forwards.  The machine made no attempt to defend itself, or to block the attack, and Hyperion bit deeply into one of the metal limbs, nearly severing it.  Squall watched closely as Seifer backed off.  By the time he reached them, the wound had healed, almost as if it had never been inflicted.

Squall drew Lionheart, and suddenly the machine seemed to tremble.  He frowned, then both he and Seifer attacked.  Again, once they had returned to Zell, the machine was healed.  Squall frowned again.  If it could heal damage from Lionheart, then why had it seemed to tremble at the weapon's presence?  Maybe...

"Great..."  Zell's moan interrupted Squall's thoughts.  "A better repair system than X-ATM092.  We gotta find a way to disable the repair system."  Seifer shrugged.

"Much as it pains me to admit it, you're the man when it comes to machines."  Zell grinned, but hid it quickly as Seifer frowned.  "Don't let it go to your head Chickenwuss."  The older blond growled.

"Where would the system be?"  Squall asked.  Zell shrugged.

"I need to get underneath the thing - X-ATM092 had all its systems in its 'head', I'm guessing, if this thing is an improved version, that the systems are going to be somewhere harder to reach, like underneath."  He shot a pointed glance at Seifer.  "This would be so much easier if ~someone~ hadn't killed Odin."  Seifer actually looked slightly uncomfortable.

"I didn't know we were gonna get into this sort of mess..."  Squall was frowning.

"We don't have Odin, but we do have a link to Zantetzuken..."

"Gilgamesh!"  Zell shouted, looking exuberant.  Seifer frowned and shook his head.

"You're forgetting something.  Gilgamesh isn't summonable."  Squall shrugged.  "We can't summon him Squall – what're we supposed to do?  Wait around until he just decides, maybe, to interfere?"  Seifer's voice was laden with sarcasm.

"Not us.  You."  Seifer snorted and threw his hands into the air.  Rolling his eyes at their antics, Zell turned and began to scrutinise the machine once more.

Seifer leaned down, pushing his face closer to Squall's.  "Listen.  Gilgamesh helps when he wants to, and doesn't when he doesn't.  I can't change that – puberty boy!"  Seifer hissed, unsurprised to see Squall's eyes briefly flare a pale yellow.  "That pendant is nearly useless – I wouldn't be surprised if she knew exactly what you are."  Squall's eyes narrowed.

"Don't use me as an excuse if you can't do it.  You know Gilgamesh owes you for Odin's sword – that means you can summon him, if you want."  He sneered, the alien expression scaring Seifer more than anything.  "Or maybe the Great Seifer Almasy, Sorceress Knight, is too much of a coward...?"  The blinding white light of fury exploded in Seifer's mind.

"I'll show you cowardice..."  He snarled, spinning and straightening to face the blue widow.  "Gilgamesh!  Zantetzuken!"  He screamed, breaking into a run towards X-ATV61UE.  Zell watched in astonishment, Squall blankly, as Seifer's image was overlapped by an image of Gilgamesh, Hyperion and Odin's Zantetzuken blade merging to become one glowing red instrument of death, wielded by two hands.  Seifer didn't pause in his charge, merely bringing Hyperion up as he charged into the machine...

AN: On a more serious note: did I spell Zantetzuken right? *scratches head* The strategy guide calls it Sable Justiciero, and I was just too plain lazy to go into the game and check :)

*groans* you'll see this excuse waaaay too many times, gomen...

I always refer to X-ATM092 as X-ATMOS, and my 'black widow' X-ATV61UE is X-ATV BLUE aka, the 'blue widow' *grins*  good? - well I thought so :p

REVIEWS FROM VERSION 1:

Reviewer: Leap of Fate 

Date: 11/10/2002

For Chapter: 8

Review:  Wow, great story, i read all 8 chaps in one go and usually im too lazy to do that ^_^ well cone, i can't wait to see more from this!  Keep it up!

Author's Response:   *grins* I'm glad you found it so gripping :)  Hope you enjoy the new version as much (or more ;p)

Reviewer: Drake

Date: 28/10/2002

For Chapter: 8

Review:  But the robot didn't DO anything....it healed, but that's about it.  Yeah, nice original idea, that robot, but make it DO something...aside from regenerate.  And don't think I'm being mean, I'm AM interested in what happens next.

Author's Response:   Hmm, well initially I thought this review would need moving, only then I kinda realised that it's less of a spoiler in its original place ;)  X-ATV61UE ~will~ have its day...or days – just not today ;)


	9. Closer To A Revelation

AN: Did Seifer's attack work?  What was Seifer's attack?  What ~is~ Zell thinking about events?  If you have any ideas - let me know.  Only joking (lol), at least I think I am... *frowns thoughtfully*

Disclaimers: X-ATV61UE is mine, everything else is Squaresoft's *glares at Squaresoft* meanies :(

**Book One of the Sorcerer Arc ~ History Repeating ~ Chapter Nine ~ Closer to a Revelation**

...It seemed to Seifer that he was running towards the blue widow through treacle ~and~ on legs made of rubber.  But then he felt Gilgamesh join him, saw the two blades, Hyperion and Odin's Zantetzuken blade, merge into one glowing red blade even as he merged with the GF.  He drew on Gilgamesh's, ~his~ strength, bringing the blade in front of him and running through X-ATV61UE...

For a moment it seemed all Seifer had done was run through the machine.  Then it wavered, and collapsed into two halves, whirring and sparking pathetically.  Zell leapt into the air, whooping in triumph, never mind that it had been Seifer's triumph.  He turned to share the celebration with Squall - only to discover the brunette was no longer there...  

***

Squall saw X-ATV61UE crumple in defeat, and beyond it, saw Seifer, suddenly bereft of Gilgamesh's presence, beginning to fall.  Without conscious thought or effort, he was there, next to the blond, just in time to catch the older man before he hit the ground.

Seifer was pale, very pale, and Squall felt a pang of remorse.  Had there been another way, any way, he would've spared the blond this, but there wasn't, at least, not yet.  Cradling Seifer's head in one hand, Squall gently lowered the blond to the ground, running a hand lightly down his cheek as he did so.  The slight flicker of the blond's closed eyes was enough to reassure Squall that the older man would recover given time.  Time that they might not have.  

The ball was in Kylari's court now.

Without thinking, Squall scooped Seifer into his arms, and lifted him off the ground.  He suddenly realised that this time, unlike that morning, they were not alone.  It would seem strange, him carrying Seifer, but they didn't have time for him to worry about appearances.  At least he did have Eden, to whom he could attribute the strength necessary to lift the taller, and heavier, man.

***

Zell watched Squall hoist Seifer into the air with his mouth agape.  Was Squall really that strong?  The only other person he'd ever seen lift weights far in excess of what they ~should~ have been able to lift, was Edea, and she was a sorceress.  Did that mean...?  But Squall was male...  Of course!  Zell hit his forehead with a gloved hand.  Squall had the Eden GF.  He rolled his eyes at himself.  He'd had GFs for so long that now he was beginning to forget that they too could boost their partner's statistics.  With a GF like Eden to draw strength from, Squall could probably topple the Comm. Tower.  Zell glanced at the tower, then back at Squall.  Maybe not.

It didn't look like Squall intended to hang around though, even with X-ATV61UE in two halves on the ground...  Zell looked at the two halves, frowning.  Was it him, or did those two halves look like they added up to more than one?  Suddenly nervous, Zell hurried after Squall.  It had to be his imagination, didn't it?  He prayed to Hyne it was.

AN: Oookay...  That eventually changed quite a bit...and here I thought it might stay roughly the same *shrugs* oh well.  Only a few more chapters to go :)  Um, and apologies for the uber-short chapter, the next one will be uber-long, and that's mainly because the majority of this chapter got shifted into the next, for reasons that will become clear (or not – I mean, look at the title of the next chapter for Hyne's sake!) by the end of the next chapter :)


	10. Dreams And Confusion

AN: *mutters to self* this fic will not go over 13 chapters, this fic will not go over 13 chapters... well, this 'book' o.O;;

Disclaimers: I don't *sniffles* own Seifer or Squall, or any of the other characters from the game.  I will, however, lay claim to the SeeDs I've named *grins*, and any other characters/GFs that don't appear in the game.  Someone let Squaresoft know I'll trade all my characters (cause they're so brilliant *sniggers sarcastically*) for Seifer and Squall... :p

**Book One of the Sorcerer Arc ~ History Repeating ~ Chapter Ten ~ Dreams and Confusion**

Seifer regained consciousness to the sounds of the SeeD cruiser's engines whining as they stuck to the speed limits of Dollet's harbour.  With a mental grimace, he noted that, like himself when he moved around, they preferred to go as fast as possible.  Of course, speed restrictions – such as the many yelled orders from the Garden Staff that he was to walk not run – had never held him back.  

Slowly – he didn't think his pounding head would thank him for speed just at the moment – Seifer opened his eyes, and found himself staring into a pair of softly glowing yellow eyes.  Only exhaustion prevented him from screaming, then the rational part of his mind took control, reassuring him that it was only Squall, not Ultemecia come back to haunt him.

The eyes pulled back, allowing him to see Squall's face, confirming that his logic was sound.  As he watched, the brunette's lips moved, whispering something with what seemed like relief in his eyes.  Seifer felt his head throb to the words, even though they had been so soft that he couldn't make out what had actually been said.  Regardless, he forced himself to sit up on the hard bed.  Immediately the blond grimaced, and closed his eyes as the room whirled in dizzying circles.  With one hand he reached up, massaging the portion of his skull that felt most likely to fall off – just to reassure himself that it hadn't.  

A sudden cool tingle ran through his body, and the headache vanished.  An Esuna spell.  

Normally such 'pity' on his behalf would have thoroughly incensed the blond, but even when he tried to find the sarcasm within him, there was nothing.  Seifer was simply grateful that the room was stable, his head was whole, and that they were well on their way out of Dollet, with the sorceress seemingly content to let them go.  That and he figured Squall owed him for baiting him into the whole situation.  Not that he would have needed baiting, but...  There were issues that the two of them had to clear up before the situation with the sorceress degenerated any further – he was quite confident that it ~would~ degenerate, it was just a matter of how long before it did so.  Issues that couldn't be aired in public, but might well decide their parts in this war, just as it had the last...

***

Giving a gentle shake of his head, Seifer dispelled his maudlin thoughts and folded his arms.

"So, do I get a bonus for killing that X-ATV61UE thing?"  Squall quirked an eyebrow in amusement, even as he slipped the Griever pendant back around his neck.

"You're so confident it's dead?"  Seifer stared at him incredulously.

"Odin's Zantetzuken kills - there's no one wandering around boasting 'I was attacked by Odin and survived'."  Squall's eyebrow rose a little higher, his gaze a pointed reminder that Seifer himself contradicted his words.

"Except you."  Seifer shrugged, remembering the terror he had felt seeing the legendary GF hurtling towards him.  He also remembered what Ultemecia had said after that, in the depths of his mind.

"I only survived that because one of you didn't want me dead."  Squall smiled, a touch ruefully.

"None of us wanted you dead Seifer.  We just had to stop you as best we could."  Seifer could hear the lie in the brunette's voice.

"Yeah."  Sarcasm laced the word.  "Selphie wanted me dead for destroying Trabia.  Cowboy wanted me dead because Selphie did.  Chickenwuss wanted me dead because it was his last chance to get back at me.  Instructor Trepe wanted me dead because I got her licence revoked.  Rinoa wanted me dead for dumping her.  You...  You wanted me dead because I was the enemy...and you were under orders."  Seifer brushed away further comments with a flippant wave of his hand and a quick dip of his head, missing the flinch and brief tightening of Squall's expression at his last words.  "So how did that ~thing~ survive?"  Squall turned away, hiding his face and expression from the blond.

"It has a repair system with an integral blueprint.  It also draws the materials it needs from the area around it.  Eventually those two halves will form into two machines..."  The brunette's voice was ice.  Emotionless, hopeless, expecting nothing and never disappointed.  His eyes burned cold holes into the thick metal door of the cruiser's small infirmary room.

"Two!"  Seifer exclaimed, blinded to the warning signs in the SeeD Commander's voice and stance by the shattering explanation.  "Sweet fucking Hyne...  How the fuck are we supposed to destroy it - them!?"  

"..."  One of Squall's more pointed silences answered his question.

The silence seemed finally to register on Seifer's stunned mind that something was wrong.  A glance at the brunette, still stiffly facing the door with his arms folded, and tension thick enough to cut radiating from his figure, and Seifer knew he'd put his foot in it...  Somewhere.  Rapidly he mentally backtracked over the conversation, easily finding where things had all gone downhill.  But before he could say anything that might begin to undo what had been done, Zell burst into the room, almost colliding with Squall.

The blond martial artist yelped, trying to skid to a halt and take evasive action at the same time.  The manoeuvre left him fighting for balance, and Seifer would have made a sarcastic comment...except he was still trying to figure out how to save his ass from a royally pissed Commander once they reached dry land.  Ironically, as Zell finally regained his equilibrium, it was the younger blond who provided the answer to all Seifer's current problems...

"Squall!  It looks like something's wrong!  There's a big crowd of SeeDs at the harbour!"  There was silence.  Zell's shoulders slumped as he looked from Seifer – sitting on the infirmary couch with one hand still pressed against his head – to Squall – still glaring daggers in the door's direction.  "Guys?"  He queried, frowning.  It was almost like the prelude to one of their infamous argument-duel-scar moments.  He suppressed a shudder, remembering the last, and most recent, of those events – that morning...

***FLASHBACK***

"Hey Seifer!  I heard you got straight A's on the last test!  Guess we all know why you've been hanging round Trepe's dorm!"  The blond in question spun on his heel, facing the SeeD who had yelled the accusation across the quad.

"Yeah?!  Well at least I'm not reduced to chasing after chickens to improve my combat grade!"  The famous Almasy smirk made itself known, even across the distance between the two.

"Shut up Almasy, you fucking bastard!  I'll...!"

"Enough."  Squall didn't need to shout.  Squall had never needed to shout.  The ice that coated his words gave them the spin and pitch that meant they could stop a charging behemoth on the other side of a raging battlefield.  "This is not conduct becoming two high level SeeDs.  Hayle, you're assigned to the training centre cleanup squad for two days.  Seifer, I want a thousand word essay on why SeeDs shouldn't engage in slanging matches across the quad."  The SeeD who had been cut off had blushed, then groaned at his assignment and fallen silent, but Seifer had never been able to leave well enough alone...

"No Leonhart, it's not enough.  I know you and the rest of the faggots in Garden are drooling over my ass, but I don't need, and I don't ~want~ your protection!  I can take care of myself."

"Like you took care of Fujin and Raijin?"  It was a low blow.  A very low blow.  Especially considering this was Squall.  The comment incensed Seifer, and he spoke without thinking.

"I suggest you wake up to the world, puberty boy."  The blond sneered.  "You never defeated Ultemecia, you were just extra baggage - a hired sword that everyone used.  You were never worth anything, and you never will be, because all you've ever done is cause people misery.  I may have caused thousands to die, but you did the same, the only difference is, ~I admit it~."  The vicious verbal riposte caused Squall to physically take a step backwards, a change coming over his face that only those who knew him would have noticed.

"Our battles have already been a war Almasy.  I suggest you remember who lost."  And with that Squall walked away, the argument seemingly over in his mind.

"Yeah?!  Well maybe it's time for a rematch, if you can pull Lionheart out of your ass!"  The brunette halted, back still to Seifer.

"I didn't know you cared about my ass so much, but if you want your ass kicked again...you know where, and when."

***FLASHBACK END***

Zell had overheard the entire argument, as had the small crowd that had gathered, and it hadn't been long before the rumour mill had spread the word to the rest of Garden.  For himself it had only confirmed his suspicions that Squall leaned 'that way'.  After all, he had never shown any interest in...well, in anyone, but Rinoa had tried so hard, and Squall had been so cruel to her the day he finally just told the raven sorceress to leave.  The brunette had ~tried~ to be tactful, what with Garden's purpose to defend against malign sorceresses and all, she couldn't really stay there, but Rinoa had been convinced that with just 'one more day' she could get Squall to open up and confess his love for her.

But something hadn't seemed right to him, just as the tension between the two didn't seem right now.  It was almost as if...

"There's another sorceress, isn't there."  The statement was almost worth the glare of death Squall promptly delivered, just to see Seifer gape in astonishment.  Zell smirked slightly at his older tormenter.  

"Guess some brain cells rubbed off when you were fucking that library chick."  Seifer muttered, shocked expression slipping easily into a sneer.  Zell glared, and turned his attention back to Squall. 

"Well?"  Squall nodded curtly.  "Ah man..."  Zell groaned, rubbing the back of his head.  "Why do we get all the shitty luck huh?  I mean, Ultemecia was bad, but another one?"  He trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You said something was wrong.  What?"  Squall's cold voice brought Zell back to the present.

"Huh?  Oh, well, I dunno.  There's a whole bunch of SeeDs waiting at the harbour, that's about all I could tell."  Seifer groaned.

"C'mon Chickenwuss, or have you used those brain cells up already?"  Seifer jeered.  "Did they look ready for a fight?  Was anyone injured?  Was anyone with them?"  Zell thought for a moment, biting his tongue on a sarcastic reply as Squall glared at him.

"They looked kinda nervous, but no one was injured...  There might've been someone with them, I'm not sure..."

The boat rocked once as it drifted lightly to rest, bumping into the pier as it did so.  

"Guess we may as well go see for ourselves, huh Chickenwuss?"  Zell glared.

"Don't call me that!"  Seifer just sniggered, slipping off the infirmary couch and walking past the flustered blond after Squall's disappearing figure.

***

It was almost a relief to escape the stifling tension of the cruiser's small infirmary.  Almost.  The game he was playing out here was more dangerous, the line walked, narrower.  Squall already knew what was going on at the harbour.  At this close distance he would have been hard pressed not to, especially the way she was 'broadcasting'.  That was one of the reasons he'd sent her away from Garden.  Either through sheer ignorance or a childish desire to be at the centre of everything, the Raven haired sorceress Rinoa Heartilly gave off waves of 'presence' that forced everyone to notice her.  Bad enough if you were an ordinary mortal, slightly more perceptible – and one of the reasons none of the SeeDs in Garden had ever really felt comfortable around her – to SeeDs with their junctions active, but extremely uncomfortable for another sorcerer or sorceress.

Zell's faint yelp of outrage at Seifer's parting comment drifted to the brunette's ears, and he smiled slightly.  In a way, despite the tension between them, it was good that Seifer was there.  His aura seemed to have a dampening effect that intensified around Rinoa – an instinctive reaction perhaps – reducing the aggravation she would otherwise inspire.  Now of all times, he couldn't afford for her to make him slip and reveal...

The bright light of day forced him to blink, and broke his chain of thought.  It was a good thing in a way.  He could shield his thoughts, but it was still best not to think some things too loudly.  

"Squall!!!"  The high pitched squealing of his name was all the warning the brunette had before Rinoa was there, gleefully attempting to strangle him in a welcoming hug.

"Well, well, well."  Seifer's lazy drawl announced his arrival – and that he had seen just who was attached to Squall like a leech.  "Look what the Torama dragged in."  Squall felt Rinoa go tense, her aura changing subtly.  The ex-knight and the sorceress had never gotten on since Seifer had thrown the raven-haired girl into Adel's clutches – an experience that Rinoa had steadfastly refused to talk about.  To Squall's relief, however, all Rinoa did was release him from her clutches and turn to face her other ex-boyfriend.

"Poor Seifer."  She pouted at him mockingly.  "Still trailing around after Squall so you don't get your ass kicked?"  Seifer glared daggers at the girl, but his brief glance past her to Squall confirmed that he remembered the agreement he'd been forced into.  No harming Rinoa, no matter how much provocation she threw at him.  After all, she only needed an excuse to 'defend' herself and she could kill him, setting herself up for life as the sorceress saviour who 'delivered justice' to the evil sorceress's knight, Seifer Almasy.

"Nah."  Seifer forced himself to reply calmly, hearing Zell finally appear behind him.  "I've been relegated to baby-sitting the Chickenwuss's ass."  The briefest of frowns marred the young sorceress's features at Seifer's crude language.  It was silly really, she'd been the 'leader' – read 'figurehead' – of a resistance group against the entire Galbadian army, and yet she had still been sheltered from the world to an extent that was frightening.  Though, somehow, Seifer suspected it was part of an elaborate deception on her part.  People let things slip around those more naïve than themselves, like everyone did around Selphie.  There was a goldmine of blackmail information in the bubbly brunette's diaries, Seifer knew that for a fact – having managed to sneak a look at one once.  Hyne only knew what Rinoa's diaries hid, but it probably didn't bode well - for anyone.

"Tsk, tsk."  An admonishing finger was waved at him, and Seifer fought down the temptation to whip out Hyperion and sever it from his ex-girlfriend's hand.  "So disloyal."  A frown settled on the blond's face.  What was she jabbering on about now?  Surely she wouldn't be talking about...  "They followed you through thick and thin, and then, not only do you betray them, you betray your promise to them."  ~That~ was ~it~.  There were lines they ~didn't~ cross.  He didn't talk about her parents, and she didn't talk about...about Fujin and Raijin.  His face darkened as she laughed at his stunned expression.

And that was it.  Hyperion was drawn with a silken whisper from its sheath, and Rinoa jumped back a step, flexing her fingers as if to display the over-long nails she now wore.  The over-long nails that she had grown after the Adel incident, cultivating them as part of her sorceress image...  Seifer straightened from his combative stance in shock.

"Holy fuck..."  He cursed, realisation dawning.  Rinoa simply threw back her head and laughed...

***

"Hey Almasy!  Wake up!  We're at Balamb already!"  Seifer groaned, head throbbing at Zell's shout.  The rough prod at his shoulder brought him fully awake, dispelling the last traces of the dream.  "Man you look like shit."  Zell's unsympathetic assessment earned him a glare, but otherwise Seifer was too concerned with making sure that his head was not about to fall off or explode.  

"Here."  A gloved hand entered his field of view holding a bottle.  Seifer took the elixir gratefully and slowly drained the contents.  A tingle ran through his body, but otherwise there seemed to be no effect.  Then he noticed Squall holding a hand out for the bottle – an ungloved hand.  Confused, but too tired to wonder overmuch, Seifer pressed the empty bottle back into its owner's palm.  Skin touched skin and electricity seemed to leap between them.  Seifer felt his flagging energy levels rise once more, and the pounding in his head vanished.  A quick glance at Squall, noting the faintest yellow flecks in his eyes, and the faint head shake he received, were enough to confirm that the brunette's sorcerous powers had done what even the elixir had been unable to.  

"You actually merged with a GF!"  Zell exclaimed behind him.  Seifer twisted around to glare at him.  "What was it like?"  There was the faintest sound of boots on metal, and the older blond realised that Squall had left...  Squall had left first, just like in his dream...  But, that was just a dream...  Wasn't it?

Seifer ignored Zell's questions as his thoughts whirled in circles.  The sorceress had seemed to be after Squall that morning, but having already been under the control of one sorceress, wasn't it possible that he was more attuned to their manipulative tricks?  The dream hadn't really seemed to be one of manipulation though.  Not of anyone.  Well, unless you counted the painful subject of Fujin and Raijin...  He slipped off the infirmary couch, picked up Hyperion from the table where it rested and placed it back into its sheath.

"Aw c'mon Seifer!  You owe me!"  Zell's whine finally cut through his thoughts to bring him back to reality.  If this was reality, and not another dream.

"What the fuck for?"  He demanded.  Behind his back, Zell smirked, the expression quickly hidden as Seifer turned.

"Squall had his arms full carrying your wasted ass, who the hell do you think carried Hyperion back here?"

"If I find so much as a scratch Chickenwuss..."  Seifer threatened, glaring daggers at the other blond.

"Yeah, yeah.  Heard it already."  Seifer's frown deepened momentarily, then he turned and strode out of the door, still refusing to answer the question or even acknowledge it.  Had he really merged with Gilgamesh?  He couldn't remember too clearly.  He remembered Squall throwing the accusation of cowardice in his face, remembered screaming the GF's name as he charged towards...  Shit.  X-AT61UE.  In his dream Squall hadn't said it was dead, had even implied that it was still alive...  Shit.  He needed to catch up to the brunette before he got out to the harbour.  "Hmph, fine."  Zell commented behind him.  "I'll just tell Selphie that you merged with Gilgamesh..."  Zell's words brought the older blond up short.

"Don't you ~dare~ Dincht!"  He growled, hand on the hilt of Hyperion in clear threat.

"Hehehe.  Fess up to me, or face the Tilmett inquisition."  Zell chuckled all too gleefully.  Seifer's eyes narrowed.  

"You breathe a word of this to anyone and ~I'll~ tell Selphie all about that security tape."  The younger man's eyes opened wide in horror at the mention of ~that~ tape.  Selphie would do anything to get her hands on it, once she knew it existed.

"You wouldn't...no...you would...  Fine..."  The blond subsided into mutters, leaving Seifer to turn and pelt in the direction of Squall, already knowing the delay had made him too late...

***

"Hey!  Bitch!  Get away from him!"  Seifer's shout had Rinoa's SeeD escort instantly on guard.  But all Rinoa did was obediently release Squall from her clutches and turn to face her other ex-boyfriend.

"Poor Seifer."  She pouted at him mockingly.  "Still not figured it out yet?"  Seifer glared daggers at the girl, frowning at her words.  

"I've figure enough out.  I don't know exactly what you're up to, but I know what, ~who~ you really are."  Rinoa simply threw back her head and laughed...

***

His head hurt.  Seifer frowned as the pounding broke through the dream...  The dream!  The same dream, twice?  Or very nearly...  The recollection of the dream – dreams? – made him sit bolt upright, despite the throbbing in his skull.  

"Shit!"  He cursed, fully expecting either Squall or Zell to respond.  There was nothing.  Opening his eyes, Seifer inspected the cruiser's small infirmary.  Nope, he was alone this time.  But was this real?  Was he really awake now?  Or was this yet another dream?  In theory the throbbing of his head should have meant that it couldn't be a dream, but since he'd had a splitting headache in both the other dreams...  Then again, wasn't it more like real life that there ~wouldn't~ be a sorcerer handy to cure his pains?

Sighing in resignation, Seifer eased his way from the infirmary couch, and gingerly out of the room.  Fortunately the nausea that had accompanied his movements passed quickly, and he was able to concentrate more on his surroundings.

The whole cruiser seemed deserted, the engines silent, and no crew apparent.  Surely they hadn't just left him lying unconscious on the infirmary couch?  Did that mean this was another dream?  There was only one way to find out.  The one consistent event.  His confrontation with Rinoa...  Except, she wasn't Rinoa...

Why was he dreaming this?  Was he dreaming this?  How many variations of the same scene, the same confrontation, might he go through before he woke up, and how would he know he was really awake?  How would...

"I've been waiting for you."  The menacing purr came from the other end of the boarding ramp.  Seifer looked up sharply, regretting it as his head swam.  Rinoa...no, ~not~ Rinoa...

"A..."  Her laughter drowned the name upon his lips...

***

The tingle that ran through his body woke him even as it cured his headache.  Seifer sat up slowly, yawning and stretching as though he'd been asleep for days rather than minutes.  At least, he assumed it was minutes.  It could have been hours for all he knew.  Sleep...dreams...  He groaned and slumped despondently, too exhausted to begin wondering if this was a dream or reality...again.

"Squall?"  He mumbled, closing his eyes and lying back down.

"..."  A neutral silence answered.  It was as good as a yelled confirmation for Seifer.

"Kill Rinoa when you see her, she's been possessed."  

"..."  Another silence, and then the sound of the brunette leaving the room.

The laughter filled his mind...

***

Sunlight, harsh upon his eyes and unforgiving in its assault against his senses.  Seifer muttered incoherently and flung a hand across his eyes.  He didn't care if he was supposed to 'wake up'.  He'd given in.  Fuck it – the dream, 'Rinoa', Squall, Zell...  Fuck the lot of them.  He wasn't going to play these mind games again.  Not again...

Turning over so that his face was shielded from the offensive brightness, Seifer drifted back into darkness, faint and ghostly laughter teasing at his ears.

***

Over and over he woke to the same dream.  No matter what he did, how the dream began or how he tried to break out of the loop, it seemed that there was no end.  No end save for Rinoa's mocking laughter ringing in his ears.  Slowly the dreams began to merge in his memory until there was only the laughter.  Nothing but the laughter, and his frantic attempts to escape in any way he could...

***

Moonlight this time...

The thought made him pause.  This was the first time he'd been 'woken' in the night.  Did that mean this was reality?  Or did it just mean that he was doomed to repeat a new version of the dream until he played along and named Rinoa...  

Half expecting the laughter to ring out and the cycle to begin again, Seifer was surprised when nothing happened.  Was this reality?  What ~was~ reality?  Maybe the dream had simply changed.  Maybe he was doomed to forever repeat one sequence of events or another for the rest of his life.  But, if he was dreaming, was any time actually passing?  Sighing in resignation, Seifer used one hand to shield his face from the light, and opened his eyes.

The Garden Infirmary!?  What the fuck?  Had he really woken up this time?  Hope surged, along with the intensity of the throbbing in his head...and shoulder...  Tentatively he tried moving the joint in question.  Pain seared across a path he knew all too well.  He muttered a curse.

"You're awake huh?"  Seifer glared at Dr Kadowaki as she walked into the room.

He stifled an ironic, hysteric, laugh, remembering his thoughts the first time this had happened.  Only this time it wasn't the doctor who was dreaming.  With a groan he flopped back down onto the bed, not caring if she thought he was in pain or if she took it as an insult.

"Shoulder hurting?  I'm not surprised.  You only did it this morning.  I warned Squall that neither of you should be fighting until you'd both healed properly."  Seifer suddenly started listening again.  "Seems he listens as good as you do."  Dr Kadowaki muttered with a roll of her eyes.  "Still, you didn't pull the stitches too badly, so as long as you let it heal this time," she glared at him to emphasise her point, "the scar shouldn't be too much worse."

Quite honestly, at this point, Seifer couldn't have cared less about the scar.  A scar was a small price to pay for reality.

"Where..."  His mouth and lips were dry, and the words stuck in his throat.  Kadowaki looked at him sympathetically, and silently offered a glass of water.  "Where's Squall."  He managed to choke out after a few healthy swallows.

"In his office, talking to Rinoa."  If Dr Kadowaki expected a repeat performance of that morning's antics, she was disappointed.  Seifer spared only a grunt of acknowledgement for the news.  To be quite honest, as far as the blond was concerned, he knew who and what Rinoa really was...  Or thought he did.  They had been dreams after all, and what were dreams but manifestations of a person's subconscious thoughts?  Damn but that meant he had a twisted subconscious.  Still, he was reasonably certain that, whether or not his dreams had shown him the truth about Rinoa, Squall was far more capable of dealing with her than he was in his current state.  Besides, this was a perfect opportunity to start rummaging around for information on sorcerers.

Seifer never even considered that this might just be yet another dream...

AN: Anyway, about the whole 'three chapters to go' – that's to the end of this fic.  I kinda decided about two chapters in that this was going to be a prelude/prequel story (having 'accidentally' written the last chapter), and by the time I reached this chapter I'd kinda plotted what was happening in the next two chapters – which is why the chapter lengths have suddenly increased – I'm not letting my plot daemon push me around *sticks tongue out at plot daemon* lol :)

Hehe, uh, when I wrote that this chapter was nowhere near this long...  Then again, the previous chapter was nowhere near as short X_X  As for the three chapters to go, weeeell, I'm going to try to stick to that, although I have a couple of scenes I'd like to try and get in that may push it slightly over, but on the other hand, it may naturally compress to under... yeah, like ~that's~ gonna happen!  

So, let me know what you thought to the chapter, please.  Even if this is the only review you leave for the whole thing, let me know whether you liked it or not.

REVIEWS FROM VERSION 1:

Reviewer: hybrid2 

Date: 20/10/2002

For Chapter: 10

Review:  I really really really like this one *wondering if there's enough 'really's* I mean it...

         So....  When are you updating?

Author's Response:   Hope your comment still stands for the new version :)  Thanks for the review!

Reviewer: Griever

Date: 14/10/2002

For Chapter: 10

Review:  more please

Author's Response:   Yes sir/ma'am (delete as applicable)!  Hope you like the new version as much :D


	11. Old Enemies

AN: Mwahahahaaaa – the first (?) *checks previous and new versions of fic* ok, the ~second~ drastic plot change

Disclaimers: Don't own characters...blah, blah, blah...Squaresoft is god...yada, yada, yada...I'm running away with Squall and Seifer on Tuesday...and so on, and so forth... (hah!  bet they won't notice I sneaked that in there *cackles madly*)  @~@ OK, seriously, characters from the game aren't mine - despite my wishes and prayers and offers of bribes - but anyone/anything not mentioned in the game is mine

**Book One of the Sorcerer Arc ~ History Repeating ~ Chapter Eleven ~ Old Enemies**

Squall remained standing behind his desk as the office doors closed.  Something was off about Rinoa's aura, it was weak in places he remembered it being strong, dull where it had once been bright.  That didn't necessarily mean that something was wrong with Rinoa herself.  It might mean nothing more than that she had matured since their last meeting.  But he doubted it.  Something was different in a worryingly familiar way.  If only he could place why it seemed familiar, then he could tell what was different.  Until then...  He would remain standing – an easier stance in which to draw his weapon.

Rinoa turned, smiling thinly.  Her golden eyes seemed to mock Squall, looking altogether too smug and knowing for the woman he knew.

"I only ever wanted to give this world a chance."  The voice.  The words.  So simply, calmly stated, and yet it seemed the direst of threats.  "All I needed to do was find a worthy successor and pass my powers on to them.  But those who opposed me couldn't see what I had seen, and I didn't have the power to show them."  The past tense.  Squall frowned.  Rinoa had been...possessed?  But where were the physical signs?  Where were the delicate veins, swollen to gross proportions?  "In Ellone I found both the successor and the power, but my enemies found their champion - Laguna."

"Adel."  Somehow the two had to have merged when Seifer had thrown them together.  Or if not merged, then some fragment of Adel's being had somehow made Rinoa it's home.  But why had no one noticed until now?  Maybe they had.  Maybe...  Squall's frown deepened.  Yes, there had been something that had nagged at him after Rinoa had received Adel's powers.  But he had put it down simply to the fact that Rinoa was suddenly more powerful, and had assumed the lingering feel of Adel had been a side effect.  Just as he had attributed Ultemecia's presence around the girl – when she had been unconscious – to the fact that Ultemecia was maintaining the spell controlling the young sorceress.  

"Yes."  She smirked at him.  "Do not worry about Rinoa, she...sleeps...for now."  For now?  "I am dying," Adel's words answered his unspoken question.  "But I have one last way to throw Kylari's chance of winning back into doubt.  You must bring Ellone here, to me, and then kill me so that she inherits my powers.  You must find all the other sorceresses that Kylari has not yet found, and their powers must also go into Ellone.  Only that way will there be a sorceress strong enough to stand against her."  

"What you suggest could simply hasten the end."  Would simply hasten the end.  Squall had already seen the consequences of such a strategy.

"True.  But Kylari is seeking something.  She will not make a move until she has found it."  Vague.  Too vague to say for certain if Adel knew exactly what, or rather whom, Kylari was currently seeking.

"How do you know all this?"  He didn't think she was spying for Kylari, but then again, he hadn't thought Adel still 'lived'.

"I have been spying on her - carefully of course.  Who would suspect Rinoa Heartilly of such cunning?"  She had a point.  Although, given that he knew Rinoa had run away from her home, and set herself against the might of the Galbadian Military – all because her father was the General in command of it – Squall had long ago learnt ~never~ to assume Rinoa ~wouldn't~ do something.

"Do you know ~why~ she has set herself on this course, and what she seeks?"  Adel/Rinoa shook her head.

"No.  I suspect both answers, however, lie in the past.  Perhaps Ellone could tell you.  Bring her here and we will ask."  Back to this again.  Squall suppressed a sign.

"I don't have the authority..."

"You have as little or as much authority suits you best, SeeD!"  Adel interrupted with an angry grimace.  "No matter, I can see now I am wasting my time here.  There are others who will aid me, who will see as I do that there is only one course of action to be taken."  Her face, Rinoa's face, had settled into a scowl, and red was beginning to bleed into the edges of the gold.  With a last glare at Squall, the sorceress whirled around and headed for the door.

"Adel."  She halted.  "Do you remember why ~you~ had enemies?"  There was no answer, but a slight shift in her posture told Squall that she was suddenly paying very close attention to his words.  "Temper your actions with that recollection.  I have no desire to send SeeDs against a potential ally."  She snorted.

"If you thought that highly of me, you would bring Ellone here."  Squall bit his tongue on the automatic response.  He ~didn't~ have the authority to get Ellone brought back from space.  Not even Laguna did.  Only Ellone knew the codes that would allow her to return to the Earth.  Instead he played his last bargaining chip – an act of desperation, but given the consequences of the actions that Adel wanted to take, worth it.  Otherwise he would have to kill both host and possessor here and now, an action that could very well see him revealed to the world.  But that would be a risk he would have no option but to take.

"I will tell you something that no one else, outside of the uppermost ranks of SeeD, knows."  Adel/Rinoa still didn't turn, but her head tipped to one side.  "Ultemecia - the 'manipulator' as she is now being called - was herself being manipulated, or at least aided by another force."

"You suspect Kylari."

"Yes."

"I see."  There was a long pause.  "That sheds new light on previously clouded matters."  Adel/Rinoa nodded sharply.  "Very well, you have bought yourself some more time, SeeD.  I will not act - but I will inform Edea of this conversation, and the conclusions I have drawn."  With that the sorceress drew herself up and swept out of the room, somehow managing to make Rinoa's scant five feet three inches look more like Adel's once-impressive six feet seven.

It was, thankfully, only then that his hands began to shake uncontrollably.  Staggering slightly, Squall managed to make it into the chair before the trembling made its way to his legs.  He could feel all the pent up emotions fighting to escape his control, fighting alongside writhing tendrils of power that, if allowed to escape, were quite capable of destroying Garden.  Warm wetness began to cascade down his cheeks, and the brunette managed to control his hands long enough to pull off his gloves and swipe at the tears.  He examined his shaking fingers carefully, but there was no hint of red in the glistening liquid there.  He still had some time it seemed, although he doubted it was long.

Slowly, as he sat there, blankly letting the tears flow, the trembling in his limbs began to subside.  The battle was waning, control – and sanity – returning as the excess emotions hurled themselves out in teardrop after teardrop.  This was what the future currently held for him.  One day the tears would not stop, and the emotions would not die away fast enough.  Slowly the tears would turn to blood, his eyes to crazed red, and he would let his powers go without thought or care for those around him.  He would go insane, and there would no longer be a way to save him.  All Kylari had to do, or so it seemed, was wait for that day...

AN: bleh... just realised that this plot change means I can't be lazy and leave Death's Angel pretty much as is... hmm... or maybe I can... *goes off to consult plot bunnies and muses*


	12. GF In The Machine

AN: Getting there at last *grins*  Only another whole 'book' to re-write and then I can start writing anew :) More plot changes, and another uber long chapter.

Disclaimers: Don't own game characters, but do own non-game characters (not that there are any in this chapter) :) – uh, well, there are now :) – hands off! ;p

**Book One of the Sorcerer Arc ~ History Repeating ~ Chapter Twelve ~ GF In The Machine**

Having decided that Squall was best left to deal with Rinoa – or whoever she was – Seifer decided to go hunting for answers of his own.  Squall's behaviour had been decidedly erratic of late, and today – for whatever reason – it had become just plain unlike the brunette.  Sure, he'd been doing his best to hide the signs, and Seifer didn't think that Zell or any of the others had picked up on it – yet.  Because if this ~was~, as he suspected, related to Squall's powers, then it was an almost certain bet that things would only get worse.  Bottom line?  He didn't even want to think about that.

However, Squall had already said that in all his years of rummaging through the Garden's vast library of archived material he had found very little of use.  Unless you counted the knowledge of why there was only one sorcerer left, and why he was in hiding.  Even so, the blond was surprised to find himself in the library.  Admittedly, there weren't too many – or rather, there were ~no~ other places in which to search for the information.  Only Esthar had a library bigger than Balamb Garden's, and he wasn't likely to be getting permission to head over there any time soon.

Seifer stared at the computer terminals.  If sorcerers were so secretive - or had been - then it was obvious that there wasn't going to be any useful information about them on the network...  So obvious, in fact, that there obviously was.  Besides, Squall had clearly - and frustratingly - drawn very little from his searches through the archives, and since the Commander of SeeD had the highest clearance, that was proof enough for Seifer that there was nothing useful on paper.

Decided, he sat down at the most secluded terminal he could find, making sure that he would be able to see well in advance anyone who might approach him.

***

Three minutes later and Seifer was startled out of his light doze by the chime he'd set on the search program.  The word 'complete' sat smugly in the centre of the screen.

"What?"  He muttered.  The online database was far in excess of a terabyte of haphazardly indexed material – and a hell of a lot more that wasn't indexed at all.  There was no way his search should have finished already.  He hit the enter key with a little more force than perhaps it deserved.

Enter Password for access to files:

He blinked.  Password?  What the hell was going on?  And what in hell was the password going to be?  Seifer shrugged, might as well give the one thing he knew about sorcerers a shot...

Enter Password for access to files:*******

The screen went blank.  The blond sighed.  Well, there went that theory down the drain...

You are not a sorcerer.  

How do you know the password?

What the fuck?!  Seifer nearly fell off the chair in surprise, the resultant clatter earning him a frown from the librarian across the room.  Now the computer was talking to him?!

I know the sorcerer.  Who – what – are you?

There was less of a pause this time before the response came.

I am Ansiko, the Guardian Force who protects this knowledge from those who should not have it.  

What is your name, rank and number?

Almasy, Seifer – SeeD rank A – SeeD number 53019789

Almasy, Seifer – self styled Sorceress' Knight to the deceased sorceress Ultemecia.  

Current age 23.  

First admitted to Balamb Garden 19 years ago aged 4.  

Left Garden 4 years ago to fight as Ultemecia's Knight.  

Enjoyed a brief period as General of the Galbadian Armed Forces fighting successful actions in Timber, Dollet, Balamb, Trabia and Centra.  

Re-admitted to Balamb Garden 3 years ago aged 20.  

SeeD exam qualification waived by joint decision of SeeD Commander Squall Leonhart, Headmaster Cid Kramer, Headmaster Irvine Kinneas, Trabian Commander Selphie Tilmett, Headmaster Martine Geffen.  

Xu Garnet subsequently transferred to Galbadia Garden as Galbadian Commander.

Quite a record.  

So why are you searching for information here?  

Why don't you just ask the sorcerer?

Because I don't think he knows the answers.  That and I don't know if he'd tell me.

What makes you think I will?

Because when I ask the question, if the worst case scenario is as bad as I think it could be, you won't have a choice.

Ask then, but I'll only answer yes or no – just to make this interesting.

Does a sorcerer, like a sorceress, have their emotions linked to their powers?

Yes.

Is an impending loss of control of power foreshadowed by an impending loss of emotional control?

Yes.

Then you'd better start giving me more than 'yes and no' answers, because he's starting to lose it.

You are aware of the function of a sorceress' knight?

Duh!  Yes.

No need for sarcasm – you lost if you recall, I have no way of knowing why.  

Anyway, a sorcerer's knight performs much the same functions but with a few key differences.  

A sorcerer's knight acts as a conduit for his or her sorcerer's powers.  

This limits the amount of power the sorcerer can tap to a safe limit – they cannot, either deliberately or accidentally, burn themselves out.  

Their emotional link to the powers is also muted.  

Tell me, how do you know he is 'starting to lose it'?

He represses his emotions.  Only twice today I've seen a tear escape – but he didn't seem to notice they were there.

Were they red in any way?

Somehow, even without a physical voice, the GF managed to convey extreme urgency in its question.

No...  What would that indicate?

If his tears become red, become blood tears, then he will be beyond sanity with no way back.

What do you mean?

His emotions will have combined with his powers and he will no longer be able to control them.  

They will control him instead.  

His eyes will become tinged with red – eventually they will become completely red – and he will be unable to prevent the destructive surges of power that will occur with increasing frequency as his power increases.  

Eventually, when he has access to his full powers, he will be unstoppable.  

He might even have enough power to destroy the world with his death.

Clearly he needs a knight.

Was that a hint?

Was it?

Don't answer a question with a question!  Was that a hint?

You tell me.

Seifer growled at the machine.  He had been starting to like the GF – if only for the fact that it knew the answers to his questions – but now it was playing games with him.  

How did you know I wasn't a sorcerer?

You used a different password.

So, anyone could get on here, or there's two passwords?

Correct.

Which one damn it?!

Both.

But that's impossible...  Wait, no, I get it.  Anyone could get on here ~and~ there's two passwords.

Now you see.

Fine.  You started being obstinate after you said he needed a knight.  Is that your diagnosis based on my information?

Yes.

So, based on ~your~ information, who would make the best knight?

SeeD number 53019789

It took Seifer a moment to realise that it was his own SeeD number displayed on the screen.

But...  What information do you have on the sorcerer?

There was a long pause, as if the GF were weighing up the possible consequences of its actions, debating how much to reveal.

Sexuality: Bisexual

Observed preference: Male

Seifer barely registered the words before the screen abruptly went blank, flashing up the results of an innocuous search for 'Dream interpretation' just as the librarian's voice interrupted his whirling thoughts.

"Can I help you?"  

Seifer, still dazed by the GF's revelations, shook his head vaguely.  Still, he was careful enough to delete the terminal's usage history – not that he thought the GF would have been careless enough to leave traces behind – as he stood. 

"No.  I got what I came for."  He didn't see the librarian's confused frown as he walked away.

***

"Squall?"  The soft voice shocked the brunette out of the thoughtless semi-trance that he'd fallen into.  In a motion that was jerky with both surprise and panic, he looked up to see who had managed to intrude without him immediately being aware of their presence.  Of course, it was only when Seifer's eyes visibly widened that he remembered the tears.

"What do you want Almasy?"  At his words Seifer was suddenly thrown back into confusion.  He'd had so many 'dreams' that they were all now overlapped with reality in his mind.  Had they really fallen out on the cruiser?  Maybe he'd blacked out again before they came here...  "Well?"  Squall's harsh demand dragged the blond back to the moment seconds before rising panic claimed him.

Seifer took one look at the tears still streaming down the brunette's face and decided he didn't give a fuck what ~had~ happened, or if this was another dream.  What mattered now was finding out how much time he had to convince Squall to take him as his knight...

_Besides, it couldn't be a dream...could it?  _

Not that he intended to offer out of a sense of duty... 

_If this was a dream it would mean that he had already known about the blood tears...which in a way he had...  _

No... 

_Hell.  It didn't matter.  Squall crying was wrong even in a dream.  _

He'd worked out a long time ago that his feelings for Squall were more than friendship... 

_But could he stand to find out that this was a dream?  _

The only question was, even if the brunette did have a preference for men, did he have a preference for Seifer?  

_Surely fate wasn't cruel enough to make this a dream?_

Seifer gave himself a mental shake, trying to dispel the rising tide of emotions – so sickeningly familiar - that threatened to overtake him once more. 

_This..._

"How long do you have?"  Squall blinked, taken off-guard by the question.  "Before it's too late.  How long?"  Seifer clarified.  The brunette seemed to withdraw on himself, a retreat that indicated to Seifer just how out-of-sorts the younger man was.

"I...I'm not sure.  How do you know...?"

_This is..._

"About the blood tears?"  Seifer interrupted.  He shrugged.  "I had an interesting chat with a GF in the Garden's database."  Admittedly, if he'd thought about it, he could probably have reasoned that things were much the same with sorcerers as with sorceresses, and since he knew about blood tears from Ultemecia...  Squall looked completely confused at the mention of a GF.  "Ansiko?"  Seifer prompted.  Squall shook his head slowly.

"It's not possible for a GF to be in a machine.  Besides, I had a call from Dr Kadowaki only two minutes ago to say that you'd vanished from the Infirmary."  

_This is what..._

Two minutes.  Only two minutes, and yet the search of the Garden database had taken three.  Damned to despair by a minute.  Seifer felt something inside his mind slowly break free and crumble to dust.  It was a feeling he remembered all too well.  

_...Ultemecia...did..._

***

Seifer's reaction was not at all what Squall had expected.

"Another dream..."  The blond sighed, and seemed to sag.  It was almost as if he'd given up on something.  Squall frowned.

"Dream...?  What do you mean Seifer?"  Seifer looked defeated, completely and utterly crushed, something he'd never looked throughout the entire war against Ultemecia – even when he'd been beaten time and time again.  Somehow his spirit, the inner fire that made Seifer Almasy, Seifer Almasy, had been brought to the brink of extinction.  One wrong word, move, hell – one wrong ~thought~, could very well crush the ex-sorceress's knight into a mere shell of a person.  A soulless automaton.  It was a terrifying possibility.  "Seifer?"  He coaxed again, gently, resting a supportive hand on the taller man's shoulder.

"I...remember merging with Gilgamesh...slicing that creature in two...then everything went black."  A slight shudder swept through the blond's frame at the memory, although Squall couldn't tell what emotion – if any – was behind it.  "The next thing I remember..."  The blond tensed, one hand going to his temple as though to ward off a headache – or a mental attack.  "dreams...lies..."  He hissed, eyes narrowing in what could have been anger, or pure, blind panic.  Another shudder passed through him.  "Waking, being healed, Rinoa..."  The raven-haired sorceress's name was spat out in a tone that dripped with venom.  "Over and over and over..."  Seifer slowly met Squall's eyes, although it seemed more that the blond was staring ~through~ the brunette, trapped inside his memories on a slow, one-way descent into madness.

"Seifer..."  Squall whispered, hoping against hope that the blond might show a reaction to his name...any reaction...but there was none.

"Then...I woke in the infirmary, Dr Kadowaki...the cycle didn't restart...I hoped..."  The blond's explanation was getting more and more disjointed, his voice quieter and quieter as all his resistance slowly drained away.  "Ultemecia..." Seifer whispered – so quietly that Squall barely heard him.  The brunette was shocked as his former rival slowly collapsed from under his hand, curling into a foetal position on the floor as sobs shook his body.  "I can't take any more of this...  Help me...  No more...please..."

Squall's tears had finally stopped – mainly through the sheer shock of what was happening to Seifer - but his thoughts were spinning faster and faster.  Ultemecia had used a repeating dream to break the blond, confusing him so that he didn't know reality from illusion and tearing his sanity to shreds.  But somehow the blond had managed to piece himself back together afterwards, only for Kylari to do the same thing four years later...  Unless Seifer had never recovered as much as he had allowed everyone to think.  After all, Squall already knew that the whole 'brash bully' image was a mask, much the same as his own uncaring, unfeeling appearance.  What if Seifer ~hadn't~ managed to pull himself back together?  What if the blond had only managed to hide the shattered pieces of his mind behind a persona that was so second-nature to assume, so familiar, that it barely required thought?

The blond was whimpering now, starting to broadcast the first hints of impending insanity.  If Squall was going to act, to save the one man he could consider as a knight...  It had to be done ~now~.  And therein lay the problem.  There was only one thing that might either buy him some more time, or cure Seifer completely – to make the blond his knight...without his permission – taking a part of his soul and binding it to himself forever, just as Ultemecia had done.

***

Seifer could feel his grasp on sanity – already tenuous despite the healing he'd managed over the four years since Ultemecia's death – slowly slipping.  His thoughts were a chaotic jumble that made no sense.  Random images, phrases, words...  Chaos, pure and unadulterated.  It felt as though he was dangling over a chasm without end.  A bottomless pit of horrors that he had tried to hide from by forcing them to the back of his mind, into the chaos that was Ultemecia's final gift to her fallen knight.

Vaguely he knew Squall was there, watching his descent into madness.  He wondered if the brunette knew what was happening, for all of a second before the thought was whirled away, replaced by the memory of two ice-blue eyes.  That memory was replaced by the sight of the brunette's exquisite leather-clad body arching and twisting in agony as blue electricity sparked and crackled across a metal grid.  The feel of leather straps running through his fingers, pulling them tight, secure, making the young SeeD helpless.  Guilt and shame rolled through his mind, sweeping away the images that tormented him, filling his vision, his mind, with ugly blues and greens.  But in their wake came the other images – the battlefields where no mercy, no quarter had been given, no prisoners taken, be it old or young, healthy or sick.

On and on it went, eroding his will to fight, breaking down the last few barriers that he clung to and called sanity.  Suddenly it just seemed so much effort to resist.  Doing so was clearly futile, clearly doomed to failure...  But something...something...urged him to hold on, just for a few more moments... 

AN: This has nothing whatsoever to do with the fic, but can anyone remember the name of the attack that the Ultima weapon uses to inflict 9,999 damage?  I'm being lazy again, cause most of my saved games are either miles past or before the Ultima weapon, and I can't be bothered to work through the game to find out... :)

I don't know how well this chapter links to the next, cause...  

Hehe...of course, this chapter and the next should now link seamlessly ;p

Oh yeah, and the title?  Well, Ansiko isn't ~quite~ the 'Ghost in the Shell' *snickers*

Grr, can't ~quite~ seem to get the formatting to make one part clear.  Basically, where Seifer's found Squall crying in his office, Seifer goes off into a little monologue – kinda like Squall's – where two threads of thought take turn in being expressed.  Basically, if you get confused after Squall saves Seifer from rising panic, read the italicised bits first, then go back and read the non-italicised bits together.  That's the best I can explain it for now o.O


	13. Bonded

AN: Uh...dammit, gotta find a muse to do these author note thingies... o.O

Disclaimers: *sighs* Squall and Seifer aren't mine...

**Book One of the Sorcerer Arc ~ History Repeating ~ Chapter Thirteen ~ Bonded**

It was no good.  Just as Seifer's mental fingers began to finally slip, losing their grip on his last coherent thought, his mind cried out in anticipation of the loss...

SQUALL!!!

***

SQUALL!!!

The brunette reacted to the mental cry faster than he had thought possible, even for him.  Instinctively he knew what to do, knew that there had to be intimate physical contact between them, more so that he could find his way back to his own mind than for any other reason...  Instinctively he feared that this might be his last chance to kiss the blond, and Squall's lips locked against Seifer's, eyes closed as he plunged into the older SeeD's psyche...

***

His grip on sanity finally slipped, fingers sliding from the last coherent thought that he had been able to hold onto, and he was falling...endlessly falling...images and thoughts blurring into one another as he passed, moving faster and faster, thoughts and images becoming twisted and tangled, variations of the truth, variations that had been used to manipulate him in the past.

No.  The thought was fierce, determined, coherent...not his Seifer dimly realised.  The images and thoughts, the sensation of falling had stopped, but it was still hard, so hard, to think clearly.  Stopped.  Why had he stopped?  In his mind the memory of Hyperion falling towards a helpless brunette looped over and over.  Hyperion.  His gunblade.  Now how did he know that, and yet not the name of the brunette?  His thoughts were slow, painful, nearly impossible to control, drifting from the main point...  Main point?  Oh yeah, not falling...  Why?

Feeling absurd, he waggled his feet, encountering no resistance.  No floor.  Not falling.  No floor.  Dimly Seifer thought that the two together should mean something...but what?  No floor, not falling...hands...  A grip on his wrist...  Slowly he dragged his eyes from the looping memory, trying to peer at his arm.  Not that arm...other arm...  Gradually his head tilted backwards.  Another hand.  Not his.  The blond's eyes followed the hand upwards.  An arm, a concerned face...  The brunette from his memory...

Come on Seifer, help me out here  The brunette was speaking.  But what was he saying?  What was he saying?  Pressure on his arm – was the brunette trying to pull him up?  Why?  It was easier to just let go, fall forever in a meaningless jumble of images and words that didn't make sense, but didn't have to.  No responsibility, no expectations, just a numbing blankness.  The brunette was speaking again, the words somehow seeming slightly clearer – had he been pulled further up the endless well of nothing?

Dammit Seifer!  Help me!  Seifer was surprised when he found his feet searching for purchase amongst the incomprehensible thoughts and memories, found himself instinctively obeying the brunette's commands.  His thoughts were still fuzzy, but the incoherency was fading rapidly as he ascended.

Seifer?  He'd stopped again Seifer noted absently, and his thoughts were clearing.  There was a pressure on his wrist - a hand?  He frowned and turned, halting in confusion as he recognised Squall's alien presence.

Squall?  The brunette looked relieved.  Seifer tried to recall what had happened, why Squall would be in his head...as Ultemecia had been...  The thought triggered a flashback, reminding the blond what, exactly, was going on.  He looked around gloomily, seeing the even worse mess the second attack had made of his psyche.  He'd never recovered fully from Ultemecia's destruction of his mind, or from the intense mental agony that her death had caused.  Picking up the pieces again Leonhart?  Why bother?

Just pull yourself together Almasy.  The younger SeeD growled.  Seifer scowled at him in response, thoughts still jumbled enough that he didn't immediately notice that his question had been evaded.  Still off-balance enough that his thoughts were not following logical lines of reasoning – or any lines of reasoning.

When are you gonna let go?  He indicated the hand on his wrist with a flick of his own free hand.  Squall's eyebrow quirked upwards.  Oh yeah, dumbass, Seifer chided himself, when he ain't gonna be chasing your ass down the road to insanity again...  With a careless shrug the blond turned his attention away from Squall and to his own broken and shattered psyche.  It was simple enough to construct his shell once more.  Healing the rest of his mind...well, that would take its own sweet time...  Gonna let go now Leonhart?  Squall hesitated, an action that had Seifer tensing suspiciously before the brunette could say a word.  What the fuck have you done?  

Only what I had to, I couldn't lose you again...  Almost in slow motion, Squall removed his hand from the blond's arm, revealing a glowing cord linking the two.  Seifer froze as his emotions whirled like snowflakes in a blizzard.  Ultemecia had done this to him as well, the only difference was, Ultemecia had deliberately broken his mind to make him vulnerable, Squall had stepped in and saved him from insanity the only way he knew how, by giving him an anchor that only death could destroy.  Besides, wasn't this what he wanted?  To be Squall's knight as Ansiko had said he should?  That wasn't the point, Seifer snapped at himself.  The point was...well, to be honest, the point was moot, but...ah hell, there really wasn't a point at all considering the circumstances.

So...  Seifer started, but Squall was already fading, retreating back to his own mind, the only evidence of his presence, his actions - the glowing cord.

Grumbling mentally to himself, Seifer followed Squall's lead and headed back to consciousness...only to find the aforementioned brunette pulling away from what had definitely been a less-than-chaste kiss.  Blinking in surprise and no small amount of shock, Seifer appraised the situation.  He was on the floor of Squall's office, and the brunette was stretched across him in a way that was far more than just suggestive.  Not to mention the delicious blush that was now spreading lightly over the younger man's pale cheeks.  Figuring that a) Squall wasn't that likely to complain, and b) if he did then Seifer could blame his, still, scattered thoughts, the blond hooked a hand around the back of his sorcerer's neck, drawing him firmly down for another deep kiss.

***

Squall had been certain that any chance he'd had with the blond had been lost the instant he bonded him as his knight, without Seifer's explicit consent.  Therefore, when said blond pulled him down for another lip-bruising kiss, he let out a rather undignified squeak of surprise.  Fortunately it was muffled as their lips met.

"Seifer...not...here..."  Squall managed between gasps, Seifer's free hand having managed to work its way up the brunette's shirt to his nipples.

"Why not?"  The blond asked, seemingly serious, but with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Because..." Squall broke off his sentence with a moan as Seifer shifted slightly, causing their erections to brush lightly together.  "Because it's my office!"  He managed to gasp out.  "Anyone can and...~does~...walk in..."

"Oh alright..."  Despite being the one who had protested continuing, Squall couldn't prevent a moan of disappointment when Seifer actually pulled away and looked at him, one eyebrow raised in amusement.  "Well?"  Squall suddenly realised that it was now him who was preventing Seifer from rising.  With a second blush, Squall rolled away and stood...just as Zell walked in ~without~ knocking.

The tattooed blond halted as he took in the scene.  Seifer sprawled on the floor, with Squall standing, flushed, just a bit away from him.  He began to snigger.

"Was there something you wanted Zell?"  The snigger halted abruptly at Squall's icy tone.  

"Yeah, uh, the SeeD Exam.  Squad B..."  He trailed off.

"There was no sign of Squad B.  They have the standard 72 hour window in which to return to or contact any of the Gardens, after which they will be considered casualties of the mission."  It was the standard SeeD procedure, but no less brutal for being delivered in Squall's icy monotone.  Zell actually winced, looking as if he might snap at the brunette to show some humanity, but he thought twice about it, and instead whirled away silently.  The young blond paused at the door though, half-turning to look back into the room.

"I guess some things don't change."  The door slammed on his words.  Seifer raised an eyebrow.

"Still as much of a people person as ever I see.  How long do you think it'll take him to realise that you didn't even let him ask for the explanation you promised, never mind avoided giving him one?"  Squall switched his chill glare to the blond still sprawled on the floor.

"Are you planning to stay there all day?"  Seifer shrugged.

"Depends what you're offering as an alternative..."  The almost-purr in his voice, as well as the look he directed at the brunette, were clear indications of what he thought Squall should be offering.  His expression changed as he felt Squall's mood shifting through the bond.  "Fine.  Where are we going?"  He asked, somewhat sullenly, as he stood and brushed himself off.  Squall's lips twitched in what was almost a smirk.

"~You're~ going to get a lock for this door, and then you're going to sort your mind out."  He glared as the blond rolled his eyes.  "~I'm~ going to speak to a few people, call in a few favours, and see if I can figure out where Kylari's based herself."  Seifer groaned.  It was going to be a long day...

AN: Mwahahahahaa!  Well, got around to changing it...~entirely~  I don't think there's a single piece from the original chapter in this version...

Anyhoo, yes, I'm still breaking the fic at this point, although I'm not completely sure if two years has still passed from this point to the start of the next 'book'...  Ah well, one down, one to re-write and, um 4(?) to write :)

RxR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REVIEWS FROM VERSION 1:

Reviewer: Leap of Fate

Date: 31/10/2002

For Chapter: 13

Review:  Aww what a cute ending, i really enjoyed this story, i look forward to reading more.  Thanks for the mentions in the chap, i'd love it if you reviewed the new chap of my FF8 story when i finally update, i'll be looking for your new stories tee hee.  Keep it up.

         xXx

Author's Response:   Hope the new end is satisfactory – not quite as sweet I'm afraid, but I felt that not enough time had passed for the two to be so immediately close.  There may (may I say, MAY) be sweet/sappy/fluffy moments elsewhere in the story...on the other hand, the gore muse may chase the fluff muse away (she doesn't like blood in her fur)

Reviewer: Redrum

Date: 29/01/2003

For Chapter: 13

Review:  Damn, why didn't I review this before :)  Awesome fic, can't wait to read the sequal ^^

Author's Response:   Well, hope the re-write stayed to the same high standard (personally, after looking back at the old version, I think the old version really, really sucked...) or higher ;)  As for the sequal, well, it's in the process of being re-written, but as to when it'll be finished...  That's for the muses to say – and they're not *rolls eyes*    

Reviewer: mary

Date: 01/06/2003

For Chapter: 13

Review:  ultima weapons 9 attack is light pillar.  Luv ur fic btw.

Author's Response:   ty ;)  I'm sure I ~did~ have a reason to connect the attack with the fic, but I can't remember for the life of me what it was ^^;;  Glad you liked the fic, hope the re-write is as much to your liking


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